An impossible end to Just another day in paradise
by AMSinc
Summary: A fantastic fanfiction written by ChaoticCaptivation and published on the net. Unfortunately, ChaoticCaptivation never wrote its end. Its summary is When a new evil comes to town, Hellboy and company must deal with. SLASH WARNING
1. Chapter 1

An impossible to "Just another day in paradise"

Just another day in paradise is a fanfiction by ChaoticCaptivation published on the web that never got and end. This is its POSSIBLE end. Its summary: When a new evil comes to town, Hellboy and company must deal with it, but when it sets its eyes on a certain boy scout…how far will Red take it to keep him safe? Hellboy/Myers fanfic.

"Just another day in paradise" is a fantastic fanfiction written by ChaoticCaptivation and published on the Unfortunately, ChaoticCaptivation never wrote its end. Its summary is "When a new evil comes to town, Hellboy and company must deal with it, but when it sets its eyes on a certain boy scout…how far Red will take it to keep him safe? Hellboy/Myers fanfic."

I took the summary and the fanfiction first three chapters as a challenge to writ a plausible end.

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Please keep in mind that the disclaimer not only apply to Hellboy and its recognizable characters, but to ChaoticCaptivation's work as well - specially these fanfic first chapters, which were written for ChaoticCaptivation himself.

I'm publishing them here in one chapter so readers can understand the end I wrote for the story.

Hope you like and thanks for your patience.

AMSinc


	2. Chapter 2

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**CHAPTER 1**

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White flakes fell from the sky as another warm puff of air was exhaled. A soft smile came to John Myers face as he looked around at the beautiful scenery around him. The park just screamed winter wonderland, with people building snowmen, having snowball fights and just enjoying their loved ones company.

"Here you go sir." A voice broke him out of his wanderings and into the present situation. The lady behind the booth was holding out the steaming cup of hot chocolate that John had purchased a few moments ago. He flashed her a smile as he took the hot beverage in between his gloved hands.

"Thank you, and have a great day." Myers said and she nodded.

"You too sir." With that he moved away from the booth opening so that the next person in line behind him could order what they wanted. John slowly sipped at his drink as he walked through the snow, his boots making hardly any noise as they compacted the powder that he walked upon.

John wandered over to the outdoor ice-skating rink and leaned up against the outer railing, just watching the people skate by. He loved to watch other people, and try to determine what they were like by their actions. Most of the time he watched Abe and Red, and it was almost amusing to see the stark contrasts between the two of them.

While Abe was soft spoken, and fluid in his movements; Red was brash, loud-mouthed and head-strong. He would rather just run into a battle shooting first and just skipping the 'ask questions' part. John chuckled to himself at the mental picture of Hellboy in a cowboy getup, telling all of the random demons to 'Reach for the Sky.'

"Find something amusing out there?" A deep voice asked Myers and he turned to his left to see who his new companion was. He was greeted with a man at least five inches taller then him and built to boot. Dirty blond bangs fell out of the black cap on the man's head and blue eyes that seemed to be reflecting the ice on the ground.

All too soon John realized that he hadn't answered the man.

"No, not out there sir. My mind was just wandering for a moment." He answered and the man nodded.

"That happens to me all the time." He turned to John. "Dominic…Dominic Spencer." The man said as he held out his hand. John smiled and shook it.

"John Myers, nice to meet you." With their brief introductions in order, John and Dominic turned back to the people on the ice.

"Do you skate?" Dominic asked suddenly and John shook his head.

"Never really tried. I'm not that great on my feet…I'm clumsy at times and I fall almost every time I try to go either up or down a staircase…" John trailed off as Dominic laughed.

"At least you're honest." John rubbed the side of his head self-consciously, chuckling softly.

"I've been told that before."

"Well…would you like to try?" Dominic asked and John paused.

"…try what? Ice skating?" He coughed nervously as he looked over the ice. "That sounds great…but I don't feel like dying today." His statement caused Dominic to smirk.

"Oh yeah, I can see it now. 'Unknown man dies from falling one too many times in children's ice-rink.'" John pouted when he realized the man was teasing him. "Oh come on. I happen to be a great skater, and I promise that I won't let you fall." John paused looking at him curiously.

"Why would you want to do that? We don't even know each-other." John asked and Dominic shrugged.

"You just seem like a nice guy, one that I wouldn't mind knowing." John relaxed a little after that statement and smiled.

"I think that it would be nice to-"John was cut off suddenly when an obnoxious ringing sound reached his ears. He gave Dominic an apologetic look as he pulled out his cell phone and opened it. "Myers." He said into it.

"Boy-scout." The all too familiar voice of his charge echoed in his ears.

"Yes?"

"Need you to come down here fast. We have a new beastie out on the loose and Manning said that I can't go kill it until you get here." John paused.

"…since when do you care what Manning says?" He asked slowly and he heard Hellboy growl.

"He's got me under house arrest until your skinny ass shows up to baby-sit me. Now get over here NOW!" The click of the dial tone rang in his ears and he sighed. Today was supposed to be his day off…oh well, nothing that he could do about it now. He turned to Dominic.

"I'm sorry, my work just called and I have to go in. Maybe we'll see each other again and you can try to pull me on some form of frozen water another day…" He offered and Dominic smiled.

"Maybe John. See you around." With that John turned around and left the arena. Dominic's blue eyes turned frigid as he watched the boy walk away. "I'll be seeing you real soon Mr. Myers. Just wait and see." With an unholy smirk, Dominic turned around and disappeared into the crowd of people.

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John repressed the urge to roll his eyes at Hellboy's unending lecture.

I wonder if he just likes to hear himself talk half of the time… John wondered.

"More than half." Abe answered suddenly and John flushed red as he realized that he had totally forgotten that Abe could read his mind. "Only surface thoughts John. I can't go very deep unless I truly tried. And you can rest assured that I have no intention of violating the sanctity of your mind unless absolutely necessary." The aquatic being stated softly and John nodded.

"Um…Thank you Abe…that means a lot to me." John stated and Abe nodded.

"My pleasure."

Hellboy, who completely missed the memo about what started a conversation about mind reading, growled when he realized that Myers probably hadn't listened to a word that he had said. That was important stuff that he should know! Was it so hard to ask for him to stay at Headquarters and be ready twenty-four seven to do anything that he needed? Who needed a social life? They were highly over-rated anyways.

"So what is it that we're trailing exactly?" John asked and Hellboy shrugged.

"Don't know. We only have rumors of a creature hiding in the woods over here." Hellboy pointed to the corresponding place on the map. "Could be anything, then again…it could be nothing. But who has anything better to do today anyways?"

Hellboy's remark caused John to bristle.

"Actually for your information Hellboy, I did have something that I was currently doing before your rude phone call…You could have at least said please!" John stated as he crossed his arms and glared at the door.

If looks could kill…that door would have been scrap-metal.

"And what could you have possibly been doing?" Hellboy asked and he paused when he noticed a small splash of pink on John's cheeks.

"…Ice-skating." John replied softly, a small smile crossing his face. Hellboy frowned, what was so special about falling around on frozen water? Unless…

"Can't imagine that would be much fun on your own Scout."

Take the bait…tell me what I want to know… Hellboy thought and silently cheered when he saw John spin around to glare directly at him!

"Do you honestly think so little of me that I wouldn't have had a partner out on the ice with me?!" John snapped and Hellboy smirked.

"Seeing you around the ladies, you're no Casanova."

"I'm surprised that you even know who Casanova is." John replied tersely and Hellboy paused and glared back when the normally shy agent insulted him.

"You didn't say who you were with." He growled and John huffed.

"His name was Dominic; he was going to teach me how before you interrupted us." Hellboy paused.

"He? You were out with another guy!?" For some reason this ticked Hellboy off, but not for any obvious reason.

"Yes Red, another guy. It is possible for me to not only have friends, but to have both girls and guys." John stated, his voice showing fake amazement.

Abe, who had been watching the fight unfold, sighed to himself. These two, they were like bickering children at times. Red needed to learn that John was not some…thing that was just there for his own purposes and amusement; and John needed to learn that despite all of Hellboy's teasing, there was underlining concern that seemed to fly right over the agents head.

…this was going to be a long day.

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**CHAPTER 2**

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Hellboy let out a small grunt when another tree branch slipped from his hand and smacked him across the face. That had to be the tenth time that had happened and it was seriously starting to get on his last nerve, nothing could make the fact that he was getting beat up by trees any worse…

A smothered chuckle was heard to his left, and he cast a quick glance only to see Myers covering his mouth trying to hide his non-discrete amusement. A twitch formed in Hellboy's eye.

Never mind…it could get worse.

John smiled to himself as he saw Hellboy try to maintain some form of dignity…only to have it backfire and hit him once again… literally. A smoldering glare from the said demon had John coughing into his hand and attempting to put on a straight face…attempting, and failing miserably.

"Watch it boy scout…" Hellboy growled angrily, although truth be told he didn't really mind that John was laughing, oh no. It was just the fact that he was laughing at HIM! No one laughed at Hellboy and lived to tell the tale about it!

SMACK!

Hellboy paused as John burst out laughing at his current situation. No amount of glaring was going to shut the kid up. He was having too much fun with this. "Keep it up, I'm warning you." He snapped and John shot him a quick glance filled with amusement and mischievousness.

"Warning me? What for?" He asked innocently and Red growled.

"Keep laughing and I'll use you as my personal shield for the rest of the journey…"

"Admitting to the fact that you need protection from trees Red?" John laughed and 'eeped' suddenly when Hellboy grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him off of the ground easily, pulling them face to face.

"Now Red put Myers down. It's not his fault that your weakness just happens to be lifeless shrubbery." Abe said softly and Hellboy groaned.

"Not you too Blue!" Hellboy said frustrated as he turned to look at the Sapien. Abe didn't say anything, but it was obvious that he was enjoying this little nature walk. John and Hellboy might not have realized it yet, but they were very amusing to have around. Hellboy acting all tough until John found his tiny flaws then prodded him until he 'exploded' and would threaten bodily harm to the small agent, but then Abe would step in and 'save' him from the potentially dangerous demon. Red would never hurt the boy intentionally, but it was still fun to watch.

"AWOOOO!"

A loud unearthly howl echoed in the forest as soon as the last moments of daylight shone over the horizon. Red quickly lowered Myers as he reached for the Samaritan. All three of them where suddenly on the alert, looking for whatever creature had just awoken to the world.

"Blue?" Hellboy asked as Abe gently took off his glove and felt around the area, searching for the things signature.

"It's new…fresh. A type of wolf…fledgling though, it's been separated from its pack. Odd…" Abe paused and both John and Hellboy looked at him. "It seems as if this creature…is human."

"Wait, you just said wolf…" Hellboy started and John blinked.

"You mean…like a werewolf?" He asked disbelievingly. This time, all attention was turned to him.

"A what, Scout?" Red asked and Abe cocked his head to the side.

"Werewolf Red, human mythology. Shapeshifter. Supposed to only appear under the light of a full moon, it is said that if bitten by the next full moon you too shall be cursed." Abe supplied and Hellboy sighed.

"Great…how do I kill it?"

"According to lore one could destroy a lycan by shooting it with a silver bullet in the heart…or head."

Hellboy nodded and took out some silver bullets to place in his gun.

"Blue, take the kid back to the truck. Wait for me there." Hellboy ordered and started to walk away…

"Wait one minute! I'm going with you!" John snapped and Hellboy sighed.

"No, you're not."

"And why not? And don't tell me that it's because you like to hunt these things alone because frankly, that's a stupid answer. Everyone needs help sometime Red and I intend to be there for you when you realize that little fact." John stated as he crossed his arms, a sign that Hellboy knew all too well as the sign that no matter what he said- John was coming.

"Look Scout, if this thing truly is a were-whatever, then I don't want to take the risk of you being attacked by it." He tried and John huffed.

"You could be attacked too, actually more likely than either Abe or I because of the fact that you'll probably be the one that fires the most shots at it and it will want to kill you first." John said and Hellboy looked to Abe pleadingly.

"A little help here Blue." He asked and Abe nodded.

"What Hellboy is trying to say John is that we are not human, therefore the bite of a lycan is less likely to have an effect on us. However, if it were to set its eyes on you we might not be able to get to you in time." Abe explained and a sort of crest-fallen look overcame John's eyes.

"Oh…I see. Um, it's okay. Abe you can go with Hellboy, I'll go straight to the truck and stay there…I promise." John said as he plastered a fake smile on his face.

They think that they have to protect me…I guess they're right, I mean I am the weak link in this group…I should just stand back and let them take care of it… John thought to himself as he turned and disappeared, heading back to the truck.

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Hellboy nodded as he turned, preparing to head after this werewolf, when he noticed that Abe wasn't following him. He was just standing there, staring off in the direction that John had gone in.

"Hey Blue, let's go." Hellboy stated, effectively bringing Abe out of his thoughts. Abe turned and gave Hellboy a strange look.

"Perhaps you were too…quick to tell him to go back to the truck Red." Abe said somewhat distantly and Hellboy frowned. The one time that he actually managed to get Myers to listen to him and go wait where it was safe and Abe was trying to tell him that he had made a mistake?

"Puff, why?" Hellboy asked and Abe seemed to debate telling him something…something about John he was sure of it. "Blue, spill; we don't have all day."

"It is just…John has been…doubting his position here at the agency. Being a 'newbie' as some of the more senior agents have taken to calling him, he thinks that he's a weakness and that sometimes it might be better if he weren't even here…at all."

Hellboy froze, feeling as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured down his back. He slowly turned around and an unreadable look was on his face.

"What?" The question was asked in a dangerous tone of voice. One that Abe rarely heard came from Hellboy's mouth unless his buttons had been seriously pushed one too many times. "What ever gave him that idea?" Abe paused, not knowing if he should tell Hellboy the whole story, since he didn't want to be the cause of several deaths. No matter how well earned they were.

"Pressure Red, lots and lots of pressure." Abe concluded, deciding not to name names. Hellboy wasn't stupid; he knew exactly what was going on. He had watched from afar as some of the others targeted John for their own personal scapegoat, and he hadn't actually considered that what they had said to the runt had actually had an effect. Every time he watched John would handle himself well and seem unaffected, which was the only reason that Hellboy had let that sort of abuse slide. He thought that they would stop, but now he realized that they had done some serious damage, and if John left…He would personally kill each and every one of those bullies and then drag Myers back kicking and screaming if he had too.

Abe nodded as he followed along with what Red was thinking. He too had known about the others, but John always came to him afterwards and very subtly Abe had erased those fears from his mind with comforting words. He looked up at Hellboy and let out a gentle sigh.

"Perhaps we should try to make this up to him…" He said slowly and Hellboy's fist clenched.

"We shouldn't have too; he's stupid if he believes a word that any of them say." Red growled, but mentally he agreed. John might have been one of the strongest humans that he had ever seen, but he was like a small child at times. The simplest of things got to him like no other. "…Pizza and a movie?" He offered and Abe nodded.

"Pepperoni is his favorite, along with anything dealing with a good mystery." Hellboy nodded and sighed.

"Very well. Let's kill us a mutt and deal with Scout as soon as possible." Hellboy looked around the surrounding area. "Where is it now Blue?" He asked and Abe 'felt' around the area, a frown coming to his face as he realized that he couldn't find it. He slowly turned around, before he caught onto it-and he gasped.

"Oh no." Hellboy knew something was wrong instantly.

"What? What is it?"

"It's over there…it's after John!" Abe said and both of them quickly took off in the direction of the youngest member of their group.

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John had his hands stuck inside his pockets as his feet shuffled on the ground. He didn't really want to believe that he was useless to Abe and Hellboy, but all evidence pointed differently. Even his first time with Hellboy- he had gotten clipped by a car and if Red hadn't had come to his aid, he wouldn't even be walking amongst the living today. He sighed, despair slowly creeping in. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he resigned. Then Abe and Hellboy could get a new agent, one who was fit to stand by their sides.

John looked up to see the truck only a few feet away. He'd wait till he got back to the Bureau then he'd talk to the proper people to do what had to be done. A shiver wracked his body. He didn't really know what he would do after he left…

A twig snapping somewhere in the area around him caught his attention. John's head snapped up and worried brown eyes searched the surroundings.

It must have been my imagination…that or it's Red trying to pull a prank on me. John thought, but even in his own mind, he didn't believe it.

"Red? Is that you?" He asked softly as he slowly pulled out his gun, trying to find the source of the disturbance. A deep, rumbling growl met his question and every hair stood on end. Before the towering creature even stepped out of the cover of darkness, John knew that he was in serious trouble.

Oh no! Please, Red come barging out of those trees any second and help me! He cried out in his mind as he saw those glowing yellow eyes focus on him, and the saliva dripping from the slightly open muzzle after the beast licked its lips. John took an involuntary step back when it stepped forward and a chuckle could be heard coming from the creature. It thought that this was funny! What part about the fact that he was about to die was amusing to that twisted dog?

…oh yeah, the part where he turned into doggie kibble after it did the deed.

John shivered and his grip on the pistol tightened as he swore he saw the thing smirk. Normally John would have started shooting already and just prayed to the wind, but he didn't have silver bullets, and shooting this thing with anything else would probably only serve to piss it off and make it kill him slower.

Far too quickly, and far too soon; it attacked.

John jumped and rolled out of the way and spun around firing at it before dodging the second and third claw swipes. This thing was fast and most likely- if help didn't arrive soon- he wouldn't last very long. John bit his lip when one of his movements backfired and the werewolf swung backwards, connecting with his side and throwing him up against a tree. All of the wind was knocked out of his lungs and he rolled painfully to the side to avoid it again.

A loud howl echoed in his eardrums and he cried out when the weight of the thing jumping down on him alerted him to the fact that he was trapped. The werewolf howled again and John felt himself roughly turned over onto his back, making it to where he had to stare up at the thing straddling him. It had a self satisfied smirk on its face before it lifted up a paw, and brought it down upon John's side.

John screamed in pain, twisting around trying to stop it and to just get away from the barrage of scratches he was getting. This thing was amused with his pain, he noticed that right away. It liked to hear him scream and attempt to fight back, although they both knew that he had no chance of getting out of this.

John arched away from it when it slowly started to press its blood covered claws into his abdomen, his screams no longer making much sound but still portraying how much pain that he was in. He watched through drooping eyes in disgust as it took its claws out and slowly licked the blood from them. As if it were merely tasting a delectable treat. It made him sick, and he realized now how true the others had been.

He was going to die, because he was unfit for this position. Now Abe and Red didn't have to worry about him. They could move on, because he would no longer be a part of the picture…he wouldn't exist anymore.

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**CHAPTER 3**

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Hellboy didn't even mind the branches smacking him in the face anymore. He didn't care that he was making a lot of noise in the process of trying to get to the truck. He didn't care about much actually. He just wanted to be sure that he got to John before that creature did.

Abe was doing a very good job of keeping up with him, especially considering that his main element was water and not land. He himself was worried for the boy, and was starting to wonder how they had managed to wander this far from the truck in the first place, and why they had let Myers walk back all of this distance all by himself.

Shots were heard in the distance suddenly and Hellboy's heart jumped in fear. That was John, he was sure of it, and if he was shooting at something, then that only meant one thing- the werewolf had found him. Red tried to pick up his pace, but he had already been running as fast as he could over the uneven terrain.

They were getting closer…when they heard John scream in pain. It echoed over the land and deafened Hellboy as he came upon the clearing. He prayed that he wasn't too late to save him; he had to be on time. He had already lost his father, he lost Liz, and he would not lose John too.

Hellboy ran into the open clearing…he felt his blood run cold, and considering that he was a fire entity- that was quite an achievement. It took a total of three seconds for him to take in the entire scene. There was the blasted creature, its arms and mouth covered in blood, and underneath it was the still, bloody form of John. From his vantage point, Hellboy knew that if John wasn't already dead- he would be in the next few minutes. Blood was everywhere, and his vest looked like someone had run it through a shredding machine. He could only imagine what the flesh underneath those rags looked like.

The creature turned to assess the new arrivals. It didn't seem frightened by them, just annoyed that they had ruined its fun. It sized them up, and then let out a low growl. Warning them that if they even thought of coming closer to its kill, it wouldn't hesitate to attack them too. Red, who had been standing still for that time, staring down at John, slowly let his eyes travel up to the werewolf. His normally somewhat calm eyes had gained an unearthly glow to them, like embers straight out of a fire. His look spelled death for the unfortunate soul who had dared to challenge his wrath.

Abe watched fearfully as Hellboy latched the Samaritan and placed it back in its holster, before cracking his knuckles and approaching the beast. Fury was in every movement that he made, well contained under the surface, but it had been called upon. And it would not leave until justice had been dealt.

It wouldn't leave until this thing was in agony, for it had dared to touch one of his.

With a snarl, Hellboy launched himself at the werewolf; only to have it meet him halfway. Hellboy kept trying to grab it, but the blasted thing was too damn nimble and fast! It kept avoiding capture and using its claws to scratch at Red. All too soon it realized that its new targets skin was thicker then the other one and its claws weren't doing much damage. With that in mind, it grabbed a hold of Hellboy's arm- and bit.

Amongst the commotion of the two fighting. Abe had rushed to John's side. The agent was unconscious as Abe quickly took a tally of his injuries. After a few seconds he let out a small sigh of relief. John's vest had taken almost all of the damage, leaving only red scratches in their wake. The main problem was the puncture wounds on his side, which was where most of the blood was coming from. Other then that- the creature had missed anything vital. Although Myers would need medical attention, he would survive to tell the tale.

Red paused as he felt the creatures teeth close in on his right arm. A small self-satisfied smirk crossed his face as he cocked an eyebrow to the beast's attempts. A chuckle tore itself from his throat as it tried to tear into his arm.

"Hey ugly…" Hellboy started, grabbing the Samaritan with his left hand and putting it up against the werewolf's chest. "Wrong arm." He said as he pulled the trigger and the thing let out a high-pitched scream as it was thrown backwards by the momentum of the pullet tearing through its heart. Hellboy quickly returned his gun back to its holster and rushed to Abe and Myers side.

"He should be fine Red, but we need to get him back to B.P.R.D." Hellboy nodded and reached down, picking Myers up and caring him back to the truck. Abe opened the door for him and he climbed in, supporting Myers head. He didn't even need to tell the driver to go before he felt the truck start off in its preordained direction.

As the truck took off from its original parking place, none of the occupants noticed the snapping of twigs or the glowing yellow eyes as a bulky figure stepped from the shadows and went to its fallen comrade's side. It paused, calling to the other and turned away; waiting for the other to get up and follow it.

It seemed confused when the other werewolf just kept laying there. Why wasn't it answering it? Slowly approaching its side its nose twitched as it smelt blood…the others blood. Cooing softly to the other it nudged it with its muzzle, trying to get the other to wake up and follow it, the nudging becoming more forceful and needy when the other made no signs of getting up.

A strangled cry erupted from its throat as it realized that its companion was dead. Tears running down its face as it cuddled next to its fallen friend, trying to protect the body from the cold of the night. Slowly, a new sent rose to its nose and it paused, looking for the cause of it. Blood…unknown blood, demon blood. The blood of he who had killed his lover.

A snarl rose to its lips as it tilted its head back and howled into the night. Whoever killed his mate would suffer, they would die-and so would anyone close to them. He would teach them the meaning of pain, before he drained them dry and gained restitution for his dead lover. Oh yes, they would pay…He would bring more to their cause, and destroy them.

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Red sighed as he looked down at the smaller form in his arms. He wanted nothing more then for those doe brown eyes to open up and for Myers to say that he was fine and that Red didn't give him enough credit. Hellboy shook his head mentally, amber eyes gazing intently at the agents face. John didn't realize how much credit he did give him.

-He was tougher then nails where it came to dealing with him, and most of the time when other agents went scurrying, John had held his ground.

-He was a fricken conundrum. Often making many wonder how someone with such a pure heart untainted by the trials of this world could face up to evil after evil and still wake up with a smile on his face.

-He had an excellent sense of humor hidden behind layers of shyness that Hellboy was slowly breaking him out of, and he took everything he said in stride.

-He was the most beautiful thing to watch on the battlefield that Hellboy had ever laid eyes on…

Wait… Hellboy paused. Since when do I think of John as beautiful? I mean he's almost as graceful as Abe sometimes, and when he just comes out of the swimming pool…oh stop that train of thought! Darnet Red, get a hold of yourself!

Now that Red truly though about it…John was beautiful. Not in the way that Liz was, or any of the female kind- but a softer kind of beauty. His face was smooth and lacked the roughness that was his birthright as a son of Adam. His brown eyes mirrored his soul and showed what it truly meant to 'wear one's heart on their shoulder'.

The sudden lurching of the vehicle told Hellboy that they were back at headquarters. He barely gave Abe enough time to open the first two doors before he grew impatient and just started kicking the doors open.

He'd get Myers help now…

Then he'd deal with these new thoughts and feelings later.

As long as Myers was there to bring him his breakfast and fight next to him in battle, as long as he continued to come to work smiling; as long as he was safe and happy…Red was content to watch him from afar.


	3. Chapter 3

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CHAPTER 4

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Awakening was not a pleasure experience for John Myers. His eyes refuse to cooperate and he could only see some... thing red, then blue... and lots and lots of white... red?!

"Right here sleeping beauty. I know how privileged you must feel waking up to my handsome face, but you should really try to avoid becoming other's people doormat"

"Huh?"

"Hellboy, if you could move a little. He needs to be stitched as soon as possible. John? Could you please open your eyes? I need to check for a possible concussion."

"...stitches...Wh't?"

"Wrong question, Einstein. Abe is stitching you up since a big bad wolf decided to go snack you outside the forest."

"What Red is trying to say here, my friend, is that the werewolf came after you. I'm sorry to say that he managed to lacerate your sides with his claws before HB caught his attention and killed him"

"Oh! OH! Was I...?"

"No my friend: no bites, no significant injuries other then the lacerations. You had some considerable blood loss and will be on desk duty for a few days, but that is a small price to pay." Abe explained further while checking John's pupil's response.

The soft and placidly "ok" he got as answer was sufficient to demonstrate the state of awareness John was. No doubt the agent would rebel when he finally realized that he wouldn't be participating in any missions for the next two weeks.

Since Myers was already falling asleep, he decided to cross that bridge when the time comes, resuming the stitching and allowing Hellboy to keep the recuperating agent company.

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The second Waste Management Services' team that arrived in the forest had been assigned to collect, document and/or destroy any evidence of supernatural activity. Ironically, the team that named the department was second in importance if considered the chain of command.

Tonight their mission was locating the huge werewolf's body, removing it to the labs. Under the orders of Special Agent Steven Sanders, they divided themselves in two groups: the first one responsible to take the body back to headquarters and erase any footprints in the local; while a second one ventured inside the trees - led by Sanders himself.

The procedures were not lost to the creature hided in the shadows. It had decided to sacrifice his mate's body in order to achieve a better knowledge on its prey. When he saw the team divide itself in smaller groups, it knew that time was right.

Concentrating in one specific smell, he went back to the forest, following the men's leader.

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Special Agent Steven Sanders believed in hard work and procedures. His no small amount of ambitious made his last years inside the BPRD bitter. After five years working under Professor Broom's order and alongside Clay and other agents, his nomination for the position as Hellboy liaison never came.

That he attributed to Professor Trevor Broom's inexistent management skills. Not that he disliked the dead man; the old geezer was too competent to not earn respect from the FBI Agent. No, the problem was his soft heart.

The same soft heart that obfuscated the rules and procedures needed in this hard line of work, blurring the lines between human kind and the creatures they were suppose to hunt down and destroy: the one that choose John Myers to be BPRD's liaison with Hellboy.

John Myers had an annoying sunny disposition and couldn't stop himself from been outright manipulated by his charge. He was also gentle and loyal to a fault, but he shouldn't have robbed Sanders from his legitimate position. That alone merited capital punishment, one the Sanders seek to deliver.

When Tom Manning assumed head of the BPRD, Sanders thought that his career would finally launch itself, since he was confident on the other man's dry approach on the job. He was counting on it. So, he set his pace and waited for opportunity to arrive.

That happened when Myers got out of commission while hunting the werewolf. 'A damn werewolf' he reminded. With Clay dead and the kid out, Manning had designed Sanders to supervise the so called clean team.

For no other reason but to prove himself, Sanders had divided the team and entered with some armed men inside the woods searching for something, anything that could prove his competence to Manning.

The drive to become more on front of Manning's eyes blinded him, took him to the core of the forest and away from the team's eyes. He never saw the huge wolf approaching from behind, neither the blown that knocked him down.

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CHAPTER 5

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Dominic Spencer was methodic.

He led a small pack, where every single one of its members was carefully selected, transformed and trained by him. Once inside, the member would assume position as beta in the group hierarchy, him been the only alpha.

Pack's life wasn't easy, older members would hunt and bring food. They hunted when needed and never for blood lust. Their alpha ingrained in their minds that blood lust was messy and produced too many traces of their existence. They should know that – despite the fact they were hunters, preying on others weaknesses – they had their enemies as well.

The pack constituted itself of eight solid members and meant everything to Dominic; after all, they were his possessions. A carefully chosen unity created and guided by two simple rules: loyalty to his leader and survival of the fittest. In this exact order. Betas would submit and show respect to their superiors or be dealt with, no exceptions.

They leaved a simple life, hunting, feeding and mating as much they wanted and as long the pack rules were respected. Since most demons and paranormal hunters never saw any evidence of their existence, they could run around free from any alliances or minor problems. Part of this comfort was bought it by Dominic. The blond man didn't believe in material goods, but had enough money and properties to provide weapons, security and secrecy for his pack.

Of course, the alpha's mate had a important roll inside the small group. It was not older or stronger than Dominic, but was fiercely adored by the pack. It couldn't be any different: the mate shared Dominic's responsibilities and care for them. That devotion alone merited his position as second on command inside the pack hierarchy.

Corbin's death took the pack by surprise. They smelled his alpha sorrow and rage the exact minute he had entered the Den, carrying an unconscious man, but no one could imagined that Corbin had been killed during a hunt.

Learning that a demon was the one responsible by the crime outraged them. Dominic only needed to present a target, and they would attack it.

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When John woke up later that morning, he was a little bit surprised in finding Hellboy sitting on a chair on his bedside.

It was heart warming contemplating the sight, especially after considering how sore and grumpy the big red demon was going to wake up. Looking around, John found the infirmary quite empty. His room seems to be the only one occupied in the moment. The monotony broke only for the few nurses that could be seen through the glass wall, talking in the corridor outside his room.

Remembering the events of the night, he suppressed a shudder when the image of the werewolf came back to his mind. He thought he was dead for sure and that was nothing he could have done to prevent it. What a great agent he was. His self recriminations were interrupted by a loud snore coming from his companion, followed by a soft mew coming from inside the giant's pocket.

Seconds later, a small tabby made itself visible by stretching his head outside the garment.

John could resist the laugh building inside him. He laughed out loud, holding his sides so the stitches were not pulled out. By doing so, he got the attention from the chatting nurses from the hall. Their look of horror only made John laugh harder, waking Hellboy in the process.

By the time the demon could understand what hell was happening, he was surrounded by an angry pack of old ladies in white suits.

The stand off seemed to be interrupted with Manning's arrival at the scene. The man had an effective way of shutting up people this was undeniable. Seen the nurses leave and close the door behind them, the BPRD's leader didn't bother in waste time:

"Good morning John. Abe updated me on your health status. Unfortunately I can't spare any agent in the moment. Especially to baby-sit Hellboy."

"What that's supposed to mean? I got use for a baby-sitter, you..."

Deciding that was time to intervene, John deliberately stopped Hellboy's tirade. "Good morning, sir. Is there a problem?"

Manning resumed his talk with the injured agent, ignoring the red demon. "We send a second team to the forest after your mission. They should clean the traces of fight and recuperate the werewolf body, but it seems their senior field agent disappeared while conducting an unauthorized search in the forest. Why the hell he was doing something so stupid is still unknown, but the fact that his MIA."

"Are you really telling us that one of your so called "top agents" decided to play Little Red Riding Hood in those woods? No wonder you have no agents to spare!"

The barb made the desired effect on Manning, who turned around like he had been bitten." What are you insinuating, you red freak?"

"Now, where are your manners, huh? Is not my fault you keep misplacing your people!"

"I do not..."

"That's enough! John is still recuperating from his injuries and this is a infirmary! Lower your voices or I'll throw you all out!" With a big sigh, Abe continued. "Around 02:00 am, Steven Sanders entered the forest with half of the clean team. They conducted a two hours search and then returned to the area were John was attacked. Once there, they figured Sanders was missing."

"Some observant people..."

"Did they try to contact or locate him?" John asked.

"Yes, but got no answer. From the position where his radio and locator were found, we established that he disappeared near the very center of the forest. No one saw or heard anything. Damn it!" Answered Manning after he took a breath.

"I'm concerned. The werewolf we killed lost himself from his pack. At the time, I saw no trace of other werewolves in the area, and believe me, I searched. Is possible that the pack came to the woods after we left and found Sanders instead?" Said Abe.

"A pack? You mean there are dozens of those things at loose in the city?"

"We honestly don't know their numbers, sir. We are not familiarized with this particular lore."

"Then what hell are you waiting for? A written invitation? Hit the books! I want to know everything there is to know about those things! Abe, check the lock down placed on Sanders codes! I don't want to take anymore chances!" Shouted Manning as he left John's room, leaving behind two very concerned persons and a bored Hellboy.

"... mew..."

"What...?"

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CHAPTER 6

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Sanders woke up naked and chained to the ceiling in the middle of a barely illuminated large room. He realized that is feet couldn't touch the ground just as a chilly wind caught his skin. He felt more than saw the injury on his head. Some blood made it to his eyes, forcing him to blink.

A strong smell of urine came from the stone walls of his prison, making him nauseated enough to miss the approaching steps. When he was finally able to open his eyes again, he noticed a tall blond man looking at him. Soon other five people came into the room, increasing his need to cover himself.

The eerie silence of the whole scene was taking its tool on him. Without a word he was caught in a strong hold and gagged.

By the time he saw the razor descending towards his genitals he could only watch in fear.

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With the "You aren't health enough's speech still ringing trough his ears, John left the infirmary accompanied by Hellboy and his faithful tabby. Minutes before, Nurse Emma had exiled the red demon from her working premises, promising dire consequences if she ever saw him again.

He was a bit dizzy and stuck in desk duty, but nothing could erase the smile showing on his face since he was mostly back to his old routine, which means he had to feed the grumpy trudging Hellboy at his side. "Would you like to eat in your quarters, Hellboy?"

"Tsc. Hate to tell you, Scout, but right now you probably can't lift your own finger! Blue made me promise to make sure you had a nutritious breakfast, whatever that means."

"Wait! Are you saying that YOU are making ME breakfast??" John looked dumbfounded to Hellboy.

Narrowing his gaze, the demon replied "Don't be ungrateful! Besides, no one said anything about me cooking. Tough I could do it, if I wanted."

"Pft! You can not cook!"

"Would you like to make a bet, smart ass? I'll tell you what: I will serve you the best pancakes your sorry ass ever tasted. If they are exactly what I saying they are, you will accompany me in some late night visits for the next two weeks."

"And what happens if you loose?"

"Not going to happen!"

"Ok. On the remote possibility that I win this bet... What happens?"

"I cut down my visits for the next week."

"In your dreams! Three weeks."

"Don't be ridiculous: the paparazzi love me! I can't deprive them of me! A week."

"Two and that's my final offer."

"Fine, Scout! You have yourself a deal. Meet me in the kitchen in one hour!" Hellboy said over his shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

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**CHAPTER 7**

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John entered the library suppressing his memories of Professor Broom and Liz. They were usually found in its corridors smiling, talking or worrying about Hellboy and his missions. What little time Myers had spend with them, had become precious after their deaths.

A sad smile made it to John's face when he realized how lonely Abe must fell. Since their deaths, the corridors were empty and no one except John or Red to come by and flip the book pages. Few seconds later he felt guilt: Hellboy was no different, in fact he was worse.

The red demon not only lost his father, but a day later watched the love of his life' soul be sucked out of her body and sent to hell. He wondered what would happen with them if Myers decided to leave the agency.

Suddenly, Professor Broom's words came back to haunt him: "Like any father, I worry about him."

He was no father, his love for his friends, especially Hellboy, were very distant from paternal. But he certainly could relate to the sentiment: John Myers worried about his friends all the time. His desire to protect them was the main reason he assumed dangerous positions in mission's field.

The thought of leaving BPRD, Blue and Hellboy behind was too hurtful to contemplate.

Abraham Sapiens heard those thoughts when he came in the Library and felt proud of the man his young friend was becoming. No many mortals could dispense the BPRD's freak that kind of honest care. He couldn't stop himself from believing that maybe there was hope for them.

He interrupted his friend's thoughts with a soft "John?"

"Oh! I'm sorry Abe. I got distracted."

"No problem young friend. Did you have any breakfast?"

"Hellboy is preparing it for me. Can you believe it?"

"What I can't believe is that you are going to eat it voluntarily."

"It is a bet." John added.

"Not the point my friend, no the point. Moving on more serious matters, I separated some books on werewolves. There isn't much more on the lore. According to the Greeks King Lycaeon was visited by passing gods and, not believing them to be true gods, decided to test them by serving human flesh in one of the many dishes served at a banquet in their honor. Upon discovering the tainted dish, the gods cursed him into a werewolf. Some cultures think they only change at night, others believe they can change at will. By the way, you were right about the killing part, silver bullets seems to be the only way, tough some researchers believe that red roses could temporarily reverse the transformation."

"Anything about the pack?"

"Seven or eight members, been commanded by two alphas. The lore has many similarities with normal wolf's behavior... I'm wondering if we could use the information we have on wolves to hunt down the pack." Abe supplied.

"That is probably a good idea. We could try to figure it where the pack is by its territory and feeding habits. How much food they need?"

"Considering the eating's habits of a wolf and judging by the size the werewolf we killed, I guess a werewolf would eat at least 45 pounds of human flesh."

"Let's find out if there is any increase in the numbers of missing persons. Maybe we should look for animal attacks too..." John said as walking to the door.

When a sudden spell took his balance, Abe hurriedly caught his arms and escorted him to the closest chair. Looking concerned, he ventured a: "At risk of repeating myself John, you are not fitted to be walking around! Why don't you rest a little, while I go searching for the numbers we want?"

"But..."

"You had a great idea, young friend. Allow me to put it at work. Go, take advantage form this down time, rest and have breakfast, I promise to bring the numbers as soon as possible.."

"Thanks, Abe!" Said John as he looked into his friend's eyes.

"You're most welcome!" And with that he left.

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**CHAPTER 8**

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Director Manning wasn't happy.

Sapiens and Myers had just reported his finds on the werewolf lore and their failed attempts to define the location and the number of werewolves in the city. "...there are no significant changes in the missing persons or animal attacks stats. We should assume they can change at will and distribute silver bullets to the other agents." Abe concluded.

"Did you check for strange animals sightings?"

A blushing John Myers answered the question: "Some people reported seeing a blue humanoid fish diving in the Park's lake during the last week nights; meanwhile others saw a big tailed animal wandering on Second Avenue Cemetery."

"Would you mind to explain yourselves, gentlemen??" A furious Manning asked.

Abe was the first to respond. "I was merely conducting an important experiment at the lake. Nothing big, just an equipment needed to be tested under real conditions."

"Hellboy???"

"Visiting friends. I have a social schedule to keep, you know??"

"So, resuming it, we had no leads on find how many werewolves are in the city, no ideas about how to do it. To top all that, we have two not so subtle giant demons playing around the city! What a waste of time!"

Nope, Manning wasn't a happy man. But John felt exhausted.

He had been attacked by a werewolf, dressed down by Manning, tricked by Hellboy...

He felt the urge to beat himself return when he remembered that last one. Honestly! After one year working for BPRD – along side Hellboy, no less – he should had suspected, he should known better than making deals with the devil!

Surely, Hellboy had prepared a large breakfast table when he arrived at the kitchen. The large tray of pancakes waiting to be eaten smelled delicious. Surely, they were the best pancakes Myers ever tried, but, seconds after he had admitted defeat to the smug demon, a shaking agent came fell from one the kitchen's cupboards trembling.

That wasn't normal. Adding the Blue's warning and the tremble mass at his feet, John couldn't reach any other conclusion: "You cheater! You didn't cook these pancakes!"

A furious stare from Hellboy made the once cupboard free agent scurry out of the kitchen, leaving only a outraged Myers at sight. The red demon explained sweetly: "We never talked about me cooking, sweet cheeks! I said I would deliver the pancakes and judging by how fast they disappeared from your plate, I believe I did."

"We agreed that ..."

Hellboy raised his hand and continued: "Look, is not my fault you didn't pay attention to details or read the fine prints. You lost and you gave your word to me, Boy Scout!"

John was still mumbling about his poor luck when Abe came back with the data they needed, only it was useless.

Telling that to Director Manning proved to be not funny it all. He seriously thought that the little vein on the older agent's left side of the head would explode at any given minute. No surprise in the dressing down he got for his friends little escapades.

What a horrible day.

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Night found Dominic sat in a simple chair studying his current life.

The den was well located, virtually invisible to unwanted eyes, providing easy access to the entire city and food. He appreciated the practicality of it, but otherwise found it too noisy and plain. It wasn't home. Just a mean to a certain goal.

Initially, that goal was find a new pack member, this quest driving him to the city. While wandering aimless on its streets, he had found a perfect place to use as a temporary den. Now, his goals had changed. So did the functionality of the place: the more distant rooms were now been used as a holding cell to his prisoner.

A sadistic smile broke into his face when he corrected that thought. Not exactly a holding cell, more a torture chamber. Just by looking at him this morning, he had calculated the appropriated steps to break the man he had captured.

Out of his prisoner earshot, he oriented his betas about how to treat him. By now, he was probably recuperating after been beat and whip. Soon the betas would resume their job, this time rapping him, and they would continue to do so until Dominic was satisfied with the results. Only then the interrogatory would start.

For now, he was forced to wait. He schooled himself remembering that he was patient and persistent by nature; after all, he had all the time in the world.

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**CHAPTER 09**

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John Myers looked around at the beautiful scenery around him. The park remained the same: people building snowmen, snowball fights and enjoying another blissful day. They didn't suspected what had transpired in the last nights and the young agent was grateful for that. It was another day in his life and John thanked God for new beginnings.

There was a steaming cup of coffee in his hands when he strolled down the park looking for his favorite spot near the outdoor ice-skating rink. He needed this; to be away from BPRD's other agents and their recriminations.

He heard the others discussing Sanders in the kitchen and wondering why the demons and Myers himself didn't notice a second werewolf in the area. It was irrelevant to them that he was unconscious when Red bought him back to the headquarters and that Sanders shouldn't have ventured inside the woods. Somehow, it had been John's fault and he had to live with it.

He was started out of his thoughts when a familiar blond man sat by his side. "Hello, John. We met again."

"Oh, good morning sir! I didn't see you coming."

"Please, John, call me Dominic. Don't worry I saw that you were preoccupied. Something happened?"

John looked into the taller man warm blue eyes and pondered about telling him his problems. Most of the things ailing him couldn't be shared with outsiders so he chooses his words carefully: "I'm afraid I not very good on my job... I keep getting hurt instead of helping my friends." Distractedly, he touched his hidden injuries.

"I find that hard to believe John. You are always watching for other people. I've seen you do it."

"It is true! A few nights ago, my friends try to protect me and send me back to the car; only I was attacked and hurt, so they had to came and rescue me."

"You're hurt!"

"Just a couple scratches, nothing serious. But I believe that they were so worried about protecting me, that they missed something and someone else got hurt in the process."

A soft hand came to cradle John's face, lifting it up until he was looking directly into the other man's eyes. "I'm sorry someone got John, but I can't say that I'm sorry your friends protect you. I would probably do the same: you're worth it." And with that, soft lips descended upon John's lips.

He was too astonished to respond the unexpected kiss and could only blush when the blond moved away. A condescending smile blossomed on the other man's face when John's cell started to ring.

"I... I got to..." The younger man tried to explain nervously.

"Go. I'll be seen you again."

Dominic watched amused John hesitate and leave the park.

The young man was beautiful – his lean small body was complimented by a soft skin, brown dove eyes and silky voice. The list of his physical attributes went on and on, but he was made even more by the fact that he didn't see himself like this.

Despite, the fact that John was painfully innocent in some aspects, he wasn't weak as the young man believed himself to be. Dominic was sure about that, he could smell it.

A few days ago, that unique fragrance overpowered everyone else's in the park, driving him directly to where John was standing. The sweet, yet strong smell was John's personal signature and Dominic knew he could find it no matter where.

Today, that scent drove him mad, feeding him with ideas of claiming the boy. It took all his self-control to prevent himself from tossing him over his shoulder and carrying him back to his Den. He clenched his fists to achieve more control over his own body. That smell, his mate's death, it was heat; he knew it.

But that didn't change the fact there was a war coming. He would extract revenge first and then come back to claim John Myers. With that decided, Dominic left the park.

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He was having the best dream he ever had. There were hands, muscles thighs and unzipped leathers pants on his dreams. His moans and sleepy sighs had cats flying away from his bed faster than any particular threat or gesture he could make awake.

In his dreams, he felt a lean body hovered over him, nuzzling against his neck and chest ... a soft kisses raining over his skin. The kisses turned in to licks and his lover playfully retreated after a few minutes.

Involuntarily, his hands shot out to grab his lover, intending to prevent its leaving. But his lover never left the bed, his soft mouth descending gently over Hellboy's mouth, the wet heat driving him to edge. His muddled brain unable to come up with nothing else than "John!"...

Hellboy's eyes opened wide at the sound of his own voice crying John's name at the precise moment his seed spurted all over his sheets. After a few shocking minutes he groaned and left his head dropped back on the pillow. Frustrated, he realized that there was no way he could face Myers today...


	5. Chapter 5

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**CHAPTER 10**

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Abe amused himself during lunch pondering over his friends' strange behaviors.

John was acting jumpy since he was summoning back to headquarters by Manning. Oh, he had been pushing papers the whole day, but there was a permanent blush staining his face. He was also having trouble in concentrating on his task. Like he had done something wrong...

Hellboy was no different. Of course, Abe couldn't see, but he was sure Red sported a furious blush every time he met John in headquarter. The red demon would bump in the young agent and find a convenient reason to leave the room, eyes quickly averting from the object of his discomfort.

Abe wondered if something had transpired between the two. It seemed old Blue would have to investigate his friends to figured out this particular mystery. He just had to wait for the appropriate time to confront his target.

The opportunity presented itself hours later, when an inconspicuous red demon started stalking a certain brunette agent trough the Library shelves. His prey seemed oblivious of the word since he had once again lost himself at work

"Now, what are you doing Red?"

Hellboy turned fast towards his blue friend, trying to convey a good excuse for him been in the library "Blue... herm... Just you know... looking for something!"

"You sure? You've been avoiding John the whole day and now you are stalking him at the library. I'm wondering if something happened between you two."

Registering those words, Hellboy's traitorous brain supplied some kink images from his wet dream earlier in such intensity that Abe felt them easily. Unable to disguise his shock, Abe couldn't stop from screaming "You had a wet dream with him?"

Red hands shot to his mouth, effectively silencing him. "I've already warned you against reading my mind Blue! Look... It's not like I did it on propose! It just happened, ok! After IT happened, I just had to ... you know...?"

"And you told John about it??? No wonder he is acting jumpy the whole day! And that blush!"

"WHAT?? Are you insane, Abe? I haven't told him a thing! Damn it! I can barely look at him!"

"Then, why our young friend has been acting like this since he came back from outside?"

"Blushing you say?" Hellboy looked back at his wet dream sat on the table and then at his old friend. "Maybe we should find out." That been said he left his hiding place and dragged his friend towards John. "You tell me what he's thinking, Blue!"

"I'll not read his mind, Hellboy!"

"Why not? You just did it with mine!"

"I didn't read your mind, you stubborn fool! The images flashed too strongly trough your mind."

"Fine! Then tell me what is flashing trough his mind or else I tell Manning what is the "very important equipment" that you have been testing at the lake!"

"You, you know about that?"

"Please! The skeletons told me about a week ago!"

"That's..."

"That's not important. What matters is you telling me what's going on scouts head! Now, go on!"

"I can't! He is too focused on his work right now!!" Blue answered desperately. "He isn't thinking about it!"

"Tsc! Do I have to do all the work around here?" He walked straight to the table where John was located, stopping right in front of the agent.

As the movement caught John's attention, the agent lifted his head to identify this new source of distraction. He looked directly on Hellboy's gaze, blushing when the said demon's eyebrows shut up. "Hellboy! Abe! Hi! Wh... What are guys doing here?" John cursed himself for his stumbling words.

"Conducting a little experiment, kid."

"What kind of experiment?"

"See, Blue here commented that you seemed remarkably flushed today and came to me worried about you having a fever. Now, I told him he was wrong, that you were ok, but he insisted on testing your temperature." Moving closer to the agent the noted the young man blush reaches his ears.

"You don't have to worry, Abe. It's nothing. I promise you!"

"See Abe? He's fine, he's probably thinking on a cute girl! Or maybe is the other guy you met at park the other day?" Bull's-eye! Hellboy thought to himself. "So you were thinking on that guy!! Come on, kiddo. Tell your uncle Blue here what happened."

Felling sorry for John, Abe attempted to stop the questions, but was abruptly interrupted by John's confession. "All right, All right! He kissed me, ok!? He just... kissed me..." And with that John got up and fled the room, leaving behind the two demons.

Hellboy was slapped in the back of his head by a very angry Abraham Sapiens. "That was incredibly stupid my friend, even by your standards."

And with that, Abe left the room, leaving Hellboy at the library.

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**CHAPTER 11**

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By night fall, Dominic entered the Den's cell, moving towards its prisoner.

The man tried to hide himself, folding his legs and holding his arms over his shaved head. His body had been industriously bruised, cut and whipped, skin looking unnatural gray under the cell lights.

As Dominic approached him, Sanders didn't make a move or a sound and was visibly trembling. The blond man crouched slowly down to the prisoner's level, remaining silent and still until Sanders, slowly, uncovered his face.

Once proud eyes looked to Dominic's feet as a sign of submission. He learned that from the others. They never asked him any questions and pointedly ignored his muffled pleas and unwanted answers. They had only inflicted pain. Occasionally, they teacher him a lesson or two about how to behave in front of their leader: he wasn't to speak unless addressed to, not to stand up or move without command or permission. With the corner of his eyes he tried to locate "them" in the cell, but failed miserably. They would be seen only if they wanted. He learned that too.

Sanders was gagged, always gagged. He had lost track of time and was lightly disoriented, but noticed that there was only this one in the cell. This one with the right hand stretched in his direction, which's low and gentle voice said: "Come."

Despite the fear running trough his veins, he knew he had no choice. Fighting against the need to run away, he hesitantly moved away from the walls towards the blond, stopping inches away from him. A soft hand brushed his face and reached behind his head to remove the gag. He flinched, expecting for a new wave of pain.

When that never came, he grew confidant and ventured to look the other's face. The hand came back to rest at his shoulders, holding him in place when the blond ordered him quietly: "I found you collecting my mate's body from the forest. I want to know who the demon responsible for his death is. I want to know everything..."

And Sanders told him everything. By the time he had finished, Dominic knew about the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, the secret adjunct organization to the FBI directed by Tom Manning and Hellboy, it's most important monster hunter/paranormal investigator. With Sanders he learned that Hellboy and Abraham Sapiens, another demon working as an agent to BPRD, had come to rescue Special Agent John Myers from the werewolf, killing it in the process.

That last name made him think about the other John Myers he met at the park. Further questioning made him able to establish they were the same person, accentuating Dominic's interest on the younger man. He had a lot to ponder and plan before the night was over.

Changing swiftly into his werewolf form, he looked down at the BPRD's ex agent, concluding that the man had almost outlived his usefulness. Seconds later, the copper smell of blood reached the betas, making them salivate at the prospect of war and revenge.

There were no more prisoners in their Den.

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John walked towards Abe's tank and watched the delicate figure floated gracefully on the water. Abe's soft-looking gray skin seemed to entrance the agent, because when he finally heard his name been called the demon looked a little aggravated.

"I'm sorry Abe. Got distracted."

"Apparently, it's becoming usual these days." Before John could give voice to his protests, Abe continued "I want to apologize for our behavior earlier my friend. We had no right to probe your secrets."

"Actually, I came to do the very same thing. I was... I AM a little confused with this kiss and all. I never thought about that sort of thing, so when you guys showed up making questions I kind blowed. I'm truly sorry."

"You mean kissing another man? It's not necessarily a bad thing, John."

"No. I mean that too. It's just that I've always been there for other people, been a friend, a partner, or a confident. I was always there... and now there is someone kissing me, maybe wanting to do the same just for me and it surprised me. I don't know what to do about it." Babbled a subdued John.

"Why you think people wouldn't do the same for you, John? You're a good caring person, always gentle and polite... It's only normal that someone want to be at your side for the rest of your life."

"And what if I ended up failing at this person?"

"Then we would be speaking about someone you, wouldn't we?" Abe chuckled. "The kind of failure you're thinking John, it's not your nature. You cannot fault at someone you love. I know this for experience!"

A sincere smile blossomed on Johns face at that. "Thank you, Blue."

"Your welcome, John. Let me know what you decide to do with your Romeo, ok? I want to see for myself if he is worthy enough four you."

"I think you need to wait a little bit longer, I only know him for a few days." John answered embarrassed.

"Very well. If you ever need someone to discuss him..."

"Thank you again, Abe. But now I need to apologies to Hellboy. Do you know where he is? I can't find him anywhere!"

"Oh... well, I guess he got out, but I'm not sure where to."

"He did, huh." After thinking for a few seconds, John moved away from Abe's tank and went to the Library's door. "No problem, Blue. I think I know where he is! Got to go! Cya!"

Abe saw the reatreating back of the agent and prayed that all ended well between his friends.

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**CHAPTER 12**

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The Second Avenue Cemetery was a small burial ground in east part of the city and the oldest public non-sectarian cemetery around. It had more than 2,060 bodies on its grounds, some of them known to the History.

Hellboy's friends didn't have any historical fame, but knew how to have some fun and drown their sorrows. Particularly one buried at mausoleum he used as hiding place for his secret stash of rum. Since his visits were always loud and nasty, it wasn't rare cork's popping through the night.

Myers crossed the cemetery only entrance and strolled down its lanes, looking for the humanoid form described in the sighting reports that he kept hidden under his desk. He understood perfectly well Hellboy's need to leave the BPRD's headquarter and unwind with friends, that been the main reason why Manning hadn't know about these visits before.

But Myers didn't know what kind of friends the giant was visiting so he searched for anything unusual. Like the sound of crashing bottles and laughing... When he came to very end of the cemetery, he stopped in front a specific mausoleum and was about to call for Hellboy when an angry shout interrupted him.

"GRAVE ROBBER!"

Seconds after the cry reached his ears, Myers contemplated a great number of skeletons rise from their respective tombs and started to surround him. Cursing himself for the unwanted attention, he held his hand high and tried to explain the situation.

"Wait! I don't want to steal anything; I'm just looking for a friend!" He figured that was the wrong thing to say when part of the surrounding skeletons started to give him an once-over. "Not that KIND of friend! Please, I'm looking for Hellboy!"

"Oooh! You are looking for Red..."Answered a leering corpse. "Damn! Red, someone's here for you!" Yelled a retreating skeleton over its shoulders.

At his signal, Hellboy came to the mausoleum's entrance, holding an almost empty bottle of rum. "Who...? Boy Scout...? What the hell do you wan'? You don't want to be aroun' me champ! I'v been drinkin' with skeletons the whole night! Go home!"

"Gee Red. You're drunk, aren't you? Come on; let's go back to the headquarters I need to talk to you!"

Unable to stand around, Hellboy sat on the closest tomb and protested loud and clear "I'm not drunk!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP! THERE'S A DEAD GUY RESTING IN PEACE OVER HERE" Cried a voice from underground.

That got into Hellboy's nerves. He punched repeatedly at the large stone covering the tomb till it broke. Putting his arm through the hole, he brought out a now terrified skeleton, staring at it venomously. "You mind? I'm holdin' a conversation here."

"N..nooo... not at all... Y...you can carry on..."

"Thank you. Anoyin' neighbors... Com' here! Let's talk about this in a quieter place." That been said Hellboy shoved an astonished Myers in the mausoleum, closing the stone door behind them. After forcing Myers to sit at the floor, he offered the man an unopened bottle of rum. "Drink!"

"H.B., I'm not a good drinker. You see..."

"DRINK! Damn it! I'm not having this conversation with you sober"

Having no Blue around him to intervene on his behalf, Myers opened the bottle and started drinking alongside the demon. He had a whole bottle before Hellboy deemed appropriate to start their conversation. By then, he could no longer feel his lips.

"I shouldn' have forced you to talk about that kiss of yours. Just u got hurt and this guy came alon, kissin u and I dreamt about'u... things got confusin'u know?" The demon ran a hand across hiss head and would keep it going, if he hadn't turned to see his friend "And... what u doin' kid?"

It was a strange sensation to the young agent – not feeling his lips, talking to Hellboy in a cemetery - he couldn't hold to his part in the conversation or stop himself from touching his own lips. His tongue darted out to lick some rum that escaped from his mouth when he noticed Hellboy looking at him. "Huh?"

The demon cleared his throat and repeated the question still watching the younger man rosy lips.

"Nothin'... I can't...feel my lips... its weird" Myers replied. Somehow Hellboy fingers got to his face, a single finger bringing him closer to the giant demon. He felt Hellboy's breath, saw his face and blinked. "I like you, 'u know?"

Hellboy, who couldn't resist the sight of those lips, ended up kissing the smaller man. The kiss intensified when John opened his mouth and brought his tongue into play. By then Hellboy's left hand had grabbed Myers by his hair, pulling him to his arms. Myers own hands exploring the red body pressing against his.

Outside the mausoleum's door, the skeletons gave up on watching the couple and returned to their respective tombs.

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Rum, a distilled beverage made from sugarcane byproducts such as molasses and sugarcane juice by a process of fermentation and distillation. Once those processes are done, this precious beverage is usually aged in oak and other casks. It was proudly introduced in Hellboy's life by none other then Sir Provo Lorne Fremantle, once Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom.

The man had lost his patent years before he moved to the Colonies and died from a stroke on February 12 in 1915. His last wishes were carried in secrecy by the prestigious law firm Spencer & Spencer, those being to be buried at the Second Avenue Cemetery, vault 115, alongside his world famous collection of bottles of rum. The love of his life.

Decades later, a young Hellboy met the Rear-Admiral while preventing some grave robbers from stealing the Rear-Admiral's rum. This heroic act forged a strong and solid bond between these two rum lovers, one that was at risk that morning, when an angered Sir Provo saw Hellboy asleep and snuggling an equally dead to the world John Myers at his mausoleum floor.

Wasting no time in demonstrating his rage, he started hitting the sleeping demon with his detached arm. "Wake up you lazy, mongrel! I gave you no permission to use my mausoleum is a brothel! Look at this a mess! Wake up!" His cries fell on deaf ears, because the demon in question refused to wake up. Years at the Royal Navy had teach sir Provo to never give up so, right arm up, he continued his beating until John's cell started to ring.

"SHIT! John, answer stop that damn phone! I'm in pain in here!!"

John blinked, the world slowly coming back into focus. He reached blindly for his phone after not been able to found it on his pants. At the fifth ring, he managed to find it and answer it. "Hello. Ouch. Abe, don't yell! What? What time is it?? Shit! We are coming back right now!"

"Hellboy, wake up, we got to go fast! Hellboy!"

"Trying to sleep in HERE!!!"

"I don't care! Manning is looking for us at BPRD. We got to go back! NOW!! Come on!"

"Don't be stupid we're... not at the HQ! SHIT!"

Sir Provo Lorne Fremantle was appalled by their behavior, but calmed himself at seeing his mausoleum empty again or at least he did until his eyes got the several bottles of rum broken at his floor.

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John and Hellboy fled from the cemetery perimeters seconds before its gates opened, reaching the empty streets at its back and hiding themselves at an abandoned building. Once there, they called Abe and asked him for a transport. Now they only had to wait.

John sat at an old couch facing the window at the hall or the building, while Hellboy leaned on the window wall with his arms crossed. With the adrenalin gone, some aspects of the night started flashing through John and Hellboy's minds.

A small blush spread in John's face. He remembered. Hellboy's mouth grazed a trail across his cheek, and down to below and behind his ear, smelling him at that point. Pressing his mouth to John's throat, he kissed any patch of skin he could found, sucking strongly at a determinate point. John opened his eyes wide as his hands shot up abruptly to that spot on his neck.

Seeing that, Hellboy half jumped from the wall. "What's going on?"

At that, John strained his eyes and stated "You kissed me."

Hellboy's tail started rocking unconsciously "Well... You kissed me back" He defended himself.

"Stop that." John said looking serious and realizing that his friend had no idea of what he was talking about, he added. "Stop balancing your tail. It's making me dizzy. Why did you kiss me?"

"No one ever explained to you about bees? It's pretty obvious, don't you think?" Hellboy passed his hand across his head in frustration. He had passed long years avoiding these kind of 'talks', but in short period he had known John he was forced to hold them for the second time. Sighing in acceptance he continued "Pft! Look, John you are the most irritating person I know, always chasing after me and getting yourself at danger. I swear you will give me gray hair one of these days! Worse,

I save your ass and get mad at me and Blue for doing it! "

John opened his mouth, but before he could say anything Hellboy had crossed the small space separating them and took the agent's face into his hands. "Get into your thick head that we do it only because we can't loose you, John. Not Abe, nor me. I can't stand the idea of loosing you for a werewolf or even for the ice-skating Casanova you met. I CAN'T. And if you ever bought this stupid idea of you being weak and decided to leave the agency I will personally drag your white ass back. Got that?"

An at John's nodded understanding, Hellboy kissed him until a garbage truck was seen approaching the abandoned building.


	6. Chapter 6

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**CHAPTER 13**

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BPRD's HQ was an underground facility with more than 18,000 square meters of floor, space and room for more than 500 people.

It was well equipped with such amenities as private apartments and dormitories for the agents, library, gym, cafeterias, hospitals and situation rooms, distributed on the first floor. The second one contained a modern complex with labs, storage units and cells, so its personnel was able to develop and build special weapons, vehicles and just as well perform tests on paranormal beings eventually brought dead or held alive in its cells. At its lower lever, the water purification system, the power reservoir and a small lake fed by fresh water from underground springs, could be found.

Its entrance was located at a series of isolated tunnels on the city industrial area, reached only through an abandoned elevator shaft inside a Post Office warehouse. Finally, it was heavy guarded by a "control tower" at the building's front gate. Despite its capability, in the present days the headquarter housed only 300 people that worked in round shifts as agents, nurses, doctors, scientists, techs.

That was the information that Sanders had provided to Dominic during his interrogation, alongside his personal knowledge on Director Tom Manning, Hellboy, Abraham Sapiens – BPRD resident demons – and John Myers. He was unaware that Dominic already knew the last one, but that wasn't relevant.

A plan was slowly forming in Dominic's mind, but its success would demand more resources that Dominic first anticipated. To bring BPRD down, he not only needed more pack members – in order to create a diversion long enough for him to destroy the building, but he also needed some explosives to plant at it. That would take some time and money.

Fortunately to him he had both and not only those but he already had found a reliably source of human specimens to transform and the perfect opportunity to do so.

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The Military Skills Competition was a prestigious bi-annual event promoted since 1967 by the local military academy. It was a series of challenging military tasks during a rapid, tactical move along a partly-prescribed 9 Kilometer route located at the county limits, a sort of war-game between Americans and British soldiers.

This year, there were four different teams – with 9 members each – conducting those exercises under the severe temperatures of the winter. As the competition began, a strong winter storm formed on the area, effectively stopping the competition and forcing the authorities to block the roads around it.

Keeping teams safe and warm quickly became a primary focus for the competition leaders. They had chosen to seek shelter in two wood cabins constructed inside the woods and wait there for good weather. But they still had to fight the blizzard to find the cabins.

By the time the blizzard lifted, around 08:00 pm, two entire teams were missing. The survivors had found the pieces of 8mm cords that the missing cadets used to tied themselves in order to prevent straying from each other. They strongly believe that, since cold fingers don't tie knots very well, half of the competitors were lost to the storm.

Reports about wolves sighting where dismissed by the competent authorities since no wolves were ever found in the area. However, when the information reached the BPRD, alarms sounded through its corridors summoning all the active agents.

BPRD had already confiscated the cord pieces recuperated by the rescue teams, interrogated the survivors and the officers responsible by the competition, giving special attention to those who reported the wolf sightings in the area.

As the evening progressed, there was only one thing left to do: sweep the area in hopes of retrieving any blood, limb or dead body they could possibly find. It was an one hour long walk to the cabins from each team starting point. They expected to cover the 9 kilometer area faster this way. Fifteen to thirty inches of white snow had not only erased any footprints from the ground but was slowing down the human agents' progress inside the woods.

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Hellboy's seven-foot tall figured could be seen hunting among the woods, leading one of the three teams BPRD had sent to the area. The others two teams were been lead by Abe Sapiens and John Myers.

By the size of the werewolves attack, they were sure that the pack had at least for more members and every hunter on the team had silver bullets loaded weapons. They would shoot first and ask questions later. Under strictly orders from Manning, all the hunters had to keep constant communication on the radio, announcing their positions at ever 4 minutes. In case of attack, the others teams would give backup to the one under fire.

The first half hour past without incident, no sighs of werewolf or attack been found. It was around 09:00 pm when the team led by Abe heard a howling coming from the woods. Confirming that the Red and John had heard it too and giving them his own position, he try to locate its source with the help of his team.

To determine its location, however, he had to abandon their original course.

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**CHAPTER 14**

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Hellboy wasn't entirely happy with current situation; he preferred to keep John at arms reach since the young man was so prone in getting himself on dangerous situations. But there was no other option and the job had to be done.

At least the time apart gave him a chance to think about the newfound aspect of their relationship. He was mulling a few ideas over his head when he heard the howling.

Abe and John radioed their respective positions and he lifted the Samaritan grunting in satisfaction. He didn't enjoy mind games, preferring a much more direct approach on missions. He looking over his shoulders, he saw the five other agents of his team holding their guns and assuming a defense position.

The howling came again, this time closer. To him, it was clear the werewolf was coming towards his team, stating the information on radio and getting an ETA of ten minutes from the others teams. He had just returned his radio to his coat when he heard the others agents whispered derogatory comment on Myers "Lucky thing baby boy ain't here or else he might get himself another set of wounds." The others showed their agreement with this particular assessment, nodding their heads at the comment.

Blood pounded on Hellboy's veins and his hold on the Samaritan increasing unconsciously. He would've turn and shove the commentary down the agent's ass if the werewolf hadn't barged into his forest perimeter and charged against him.

The werewolf sprang at the red demon, aiming for his jugular. Without conscious thought Hellboy lifted his tone hand, protecting itself from the furious attack. Noticing that his efforts gave him no leverage in the battle, the werewolf leaped away from monster hunter plunged against the closest agent, tearing wide his throat and, in a terrific motion, killing a second man.

Hellboy, who couldn't shot his Samaritan at risk at hitting the agents, tried to follow the beast's rapids moves. However the creature refused to be stopped and tried again to tear and destroy the demon, successfully biting his left arm.

As Hellboy howled for the pain cursing through his arm, the remaining three agents shot at the werewolf, silver bullets hitting their targets, but merely scratching the beast. A big stone hand went strongly down at the biting head, forcing the werewolf release his prey. Then, the attack stopped.

"What's the matter? Got too used to scary little lost girls in the woods? Can't you fight better than this?" Hellboy tossed him while they were sizing each others prowess for what felt like long minutes. "Stop dancing around already, you oversized mutt!" That hit a nerve and when they were about to resume the fight when a team arrival was heard. At that moment, the werewolf left, annoyed at the interruption.

John looked the forest as daylight faded. His walk in the woods had showed him trees destroyed by the blizzard, while others seemed to surrender to its old ages. His ears got use to the silence presently reigning through the woods. He remembered a passage from Jack London's White Fang: 'The land itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that the spirit of it was not even that of sadness. There was a hint in it of laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than any sadness – a laughter that was mirthless as the smile of the Sphinx, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grimness of infallibility. It was the masterful and incommunicable wisdom of eternity laughing at the futility of life and the effort of life.' The howling put a definitive stop to his silent contemplations and set adrenalin running trough his veins.

When the communicators broadcasted Hellboy's team was under attack, he had run as fast as he could in order to deliver assistance to them, his heart jumping at the shots echoing around the forest. His teammates had trouble accompanying his rhythm and were a few seconds behind him, distance increasing without they eve realized it.

At some point, John stopped to bring out his flashlight and when he turned to resume his running the light caught a yellow pair of eyes looking straight at him. He froze. The werewolf revealed himself stepping away from the shadows, a few small trails of blood coming from his sides. He moved silently sniffling towards John and growling at the agent's attempt to lift his gun into position.

John stepped few inches back, all attention set in hearing his teammates footsteps. He had to warn them before they got in unprepared to face the situation. No such luck. The men were about to arrive at any given time, risking themselves been killed. John had to act and fast! He was about to launch an attack when a single shot hit the ground at the werewolf's claws

"Don't move John!"

"Abe!" John looked at his left and saw Abe surrounded his team, all of them holding the beast at gun point.

The werewolf looked one last time to John before moved swiftly to put him directly at the other agents' line of fire. Unable to shoot Abe satisfied himself by passing their location by radio. Before anyone could do a thing, the huge beast had already disappeared among the shadows.

Hellboy arrived good thirty seconds later nursing his left arm. He had came as soon as he heard about John and Abe's meeting with the werewolf and wanted nothing more than to be sure his lover was unharmed, thoughts of hunting and ripping his teams agents' heads long forgotten.

The minute John saw him, he frowned and sort of accused him "You're hurt." Hellboy looked John's face and realized that the "dove's eyes" expression could only be applied to the young man at certain occasions. 'Not his one, tough' he concluded after seeing the heated gaze John had given him. He felt a little nervous drop of sweat coming down his head's side.

Abe, seeing the way his friends were acting, intervened on Hellboy's behalf extremely amused at the change of pace between their dynamics. "Maybe we should finished our search and ask for another team to clean the traces."

Hellboy cleared his throat and took the easy way out that Blue offered "Yeah, is getting late…Did you got anything from him Abe?" HE was deliberately trying to distract John from his injured arm.

"Nothing useful, I'm afraid. This werewolf felt old – ancient ever. His mental barriers were too strong for me to get into his mind. But I did pick up his interest in John…" He turned to his smaller friend and said "Like he was amused to see you here, John."

"That's odd." The young agent pondered.

"Not really, Scout. You know what they say about mythical creatures and their attraction over unprotected virgins walking through forests under the moon." Hellboy explained snickering, while looking at a blushing John.

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**CHAPTER 15**

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People used to depend on John Myers since his early days: they would come to him searching for help, money, and advice or even for a confident. They would trust in him and never be disappointed. Only then, they would notice that it was just his nature. His family and friends weren't surprise when he decided to become a law enforcement officer. The idea of the young man risking himself to protect lives wasn't preposterous, but they didn't think he would succeed in exercise authority when the situation needed or handle well dangerous and stressful situations. They believed him too sweet and gentle for that.

Well, they were wrong. He's social skills and keen ability to mobilize people in the fight against crime showed them that. Myers didn't need to command, he only had to ask his teammates and they would do it, because he always led by example. Not only that, but he always seemed to work at his best during crises - his attention focusing at the objective: protecting someone's life or bringing the bad guy down. There for, his teammates, first, and his co-workers at FBI, later, they all knew for sure that he would take one for the team if needed, that he was reliable.

Despite of having many friends, John wasn't naïve, observing human behavior and profiling for a leaving will do that for you. So he knew that some people resented him for his successful career inside Quantico and at the Federal Bureau of Investigation or more specifically at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense.

At first, he could only count with Professor Broom's trust. He was his "pet project" and fighting hard to fulfill his expectations. The BPRD agents, Tom Manning, even Hellboy himself, took his face at value and considered him too young and naive to do his work as Hellboy liaison. After talking to Professor Broom about Hellboy, John pondered about the demons life, the importance of his new job and concluded that his co-workers would come around once he had proved himself as a competent agent.

So, he decided to deal with his problems simply by doing his job and doing it well. That had worked with his team, Abe, Liz, Hellboy and Manning accepted him. And because John was an optimist he waited for the others agents to come around. Professor Broom and Liz had died, but the silent opposition from his co-workers had not ended. Not only that, he also had to adapt to changes in his field procedures, since his missions often involved hunting creatures incredibly more stronger than him.

He was straining, unable to find any balance, the werewolf's constants attacks didn't help it, Hellboy being in the infirmary injured either.

Needing time alone to cope he crossed BPRD corridors silently, trying to reach the library.

He had just witnessed Abe's prime skills on caring ad stitching a furious Hellboy in the infirmary ward. After returning to the headquarters the red demon had remembered his unfinished business with the werewolf and heard at first hand about John's face-to-face time with the beast. After hearing how John ran away and left his tam behind, Hellboy had throw the young man a look that promised dire retribution for being so reckless.

John was lucky he had to leave after few minutes since the cremations of two dead agents needed to be supervised, plus he had to create reasonable excuses to explain their violent deaths to their families. Paperwork needed to be done. In his considerable long walk from the infirmary ward, located in the BPRD second floor, to the Library cleverly positioned between the agents quarters and situations rooms, John met several agents who had been previously informed about BPRD's second unsuccessful attempt to finish the werewolves' problem. The disapproval over John acts was evident on their no subtle looks.

True to his principals, John waited until he had secured the Library doors before started to punch the closest wall. He had lost track of how many times he repeated the action when the bruises made themselves noted. By then, the wall was sporting few spots of blood. The pain in his hands brought him back into reality, thoughts wondering in contemplation on human's fragile nature; his nature. Humans couldn't compare with certain demons muscle force and many didn't possessed any valuable knowledge on spells or curses artifacts. They only had their brains. John heads shot up and he looked at the hundreds, thousands books carefully stored on shelters, all them surrounding him.

Eyes wide in wonder he had finally understood Professor Broom work: men couldn't fight all the evils of this world with their own hands, but they certainly could find a solution by researching and experimenting. After all, he too read a long time ago that 'Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success, inasmuch as every discovery of what is false leads us to seek earnestly after what is true, and every fresh experience points out some form of error which we shall afterwards carefully avoid.'

He would not leave this place until he had found a way to fight the werewolves.

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Morning came and found Abe looking to a sleeping John Myers trough his tanks glass window.

His friend had isolated himself behind Library's closed doors, knowing that not even Hellboy himself would dare to break those carven wood doors that lead to his father's favorite place. So, once they figured the man was safely tucked inside that particular place, they were forced to wait until he was ready to face the world again.

Hellboy waited standing at the doors for hours and hours, until he remembered he had a few businesses to attend to with the agents that participated on his team at the last mission. Maybe he couldn't rip their heads off – maybe he reminded himself – but Hellboy would be able to take his frustration out on them and for as long as it took. And so he did, literally wiping the floor with some agents faces.

And them he hit the Gym, took a shower, sanded down his horn stubs further, cleaned his loved Samaritan, fed his cats, flipped through channels until he lost his patience end put a dent on his quarters wall, yelling to the world that he 'drag John's sorry ass out of the damn Library'.

But he still couldn't break those doors! By Sending Abe to spy John through his tank, he learned that the young man was sleeping exhausted among books and sheet papers at his father's desk. Used to get his ways, Hellboy created an enormous ruckus at the doors, yelling and whistling through the doors in order to wake him.

It was the whistle sound that broke into John sleeping mind and woke him up. An idea forming itself as the various information on werewolves and wolfs crossed fast through his mind. He stood up fast and run to the doors.

Hellboy barely saw the man open the doors, tossed a quick kiss on his lips and fled trough BPRD corridors yelling about a sudden need to visit some local prestigious Vet Scholl department.


	7. Chapter 7

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**CHAPTER 16**

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Inside the prestigious Vet College of Charleston University, Dr. Spencer Aaron was a well respected director at Field Research Department, one with a keen interest on specialist in wolf's biology and behavior. Any one of his past and present students could testify that, because the old professor always took his sweet time explaining them the marvelous aspects of wolf physiology during the field trips they had to make.

John was just learning about that, lucky for him, he did need a crash course on wolfs. The professor's monotonous voice kept explaining to him that "... According to L. David Mech's book, wolves were similar to dog, as far as the sense of smell is concerned. They have an olfactory area approximately 14 times as large as that of humans."

The professor seemed to consider Johns question as an opportunity to give him a lecture, because after a few seconds he continued. "Researchers estimate that a dog's sense of smell is up to 100 times more sensitive than of man, meanwhile some researchers believe that a wolf's sense of smell may be 1 million times better than a human's, which means that a wolf can smell prey that is more than a mile away!"

"I see professor, but I'm wondering about their hearing if I could use a dog's whistle to call them." John intervened.

The professor thought about the question at hand and answered "The wolf's hearing is extremely sensitive. They can hear other wolves howling several miles away. You see, a dog's ability to hear sounds above 250 cycles per second becomes progressively greater than man's as the frequency increases. So, for sounds below that frequency, man and dog possess about the same hearing ability. Dogs can detect sounds up to 26,000 cycles per second and can tell the difference between pitches one tone apart on the musical scale. It's believed that the hearing ability of the wolf corresponds to these."

At that, John risked "So it could be effectively used?"

"Yes, it could."

John shook the professor's hand and left the campus area as fast as he could; intend to return to BPRD's building.

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It was a one hour trip back to BPRD's headquarters, but when John arrived at the facility second floor he quickly located the forensic pathologist who performed autopsy – Isis Cohen, M.D. He met Isis at BPRD's cafeteria when they were both the agency's newbies of the month. Facing the same problems in adapting to the new procedures and long work hours, they had bonded and shared many survival tips. Now, they regularly met to talk about friends, lovers and weird cases they had.

The 30 years old medical examiner was waiting for John with the autopsy report in his hands, ready to answer the question he made by phone after leaving Charleston University. She could see how much he needed the data.

"Do you have the answer?" John asked coming towards her.

"126,000 cycles per second would be enough to incapacitate them. I tested this theory using our programs to develop USW; it means Ultra Sonic Weapons just for you know." She giggled a little before conclude. "You can see the results on the report."

That surprised him. "You mean you managed to access that kind of information?"

"Let's just say that I know a guy, who knows a guy..."

"And his name is...?"

"Our fearless Dr. Pratt from lab W-05." she completed with a sweet smile.

John rushed to the elevator yelling back to her: "I ADORE YOU, ISIS!"

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John barged into Manning's office and told him his idea to use ultrasonic waves to incapacitate the werewolves. He was showing the Director the results he got from Isis and mentioned BPRD's project on Ultra Sonic Weapon.

The USW project was fairly experimental and only one scientist was currently working on it since it was considered useless. So, when Dr. Pratt – the chief scientist of USW project entered in the situation room where Manning, Hellboy, John and Abe were waiting for his lecture, he was extremely nervous because this one presentation would determine his project's future.

He wasn't facing a happy or interested audience, because no one except Abe wanted to know the specifics on John's 'bad sci-fi movie' idea – as Hellboy helpfully pointed. Nonetheless, Manning forced the entire team to hear Pratt's explanations for Hellboy's despair.

"As we know, sound is associated with something we hear: people talking, music on the radio, and other type of sounds. Just for you know, the human hearing range is 20 Hz, sound above this value are called infrasonic, while above is named ultrasonic." Dr. Pratt informed. He reminded himself to remain calm since he somehow concluded that seeing Manning naked wouldn't bode well with him.

"What most people don't know is that sound is actually an atmospheric wave, that can be focused and used to strike an object or a person. This sound wake we are talking about is not the type of sound you hear but the type you would feel in an explosion - a shock wave." The little pause he gave for suspense didn't help in bringing his audience alive. He kept looking at Hellboy chewing his cigar and seeing Manning's vein start to pulse.

At Abe's nodded support, he continued "If you have two or more focused sound waves angled and combined at some focal point, the combining of the these waves can produce a very powerful another one. This kind of technology can also be used to direct an audible message to a person by aiming a device at the side of the target's head, near one ear."

"Excuse me, Dr...?"

"Pratt, sir."

"Excuse me Dr. Pratt, but you're babbling. I want direct answers for my questions or I swear I'll let Hellboy here show much you shouldn't waste precious time!" Hellboy smirked sadistically at that. "Now, tell me: Can you produce a weapon small and portable that can generate a sound with 126,000 cycles per second in order to help in the fight against the werewolves? How much time do you need to build it?"

At the promise of punishment, the poor scientist felt adrenalin hit his blood stream. "Yes, sssir. I...I mean... I believe we can, but we're still on research, so develop a weapon like your asking it will take about six months with a full research team."

"Good. Make it happens. You have two days."

"WHAT? Sir..."

"Don't waste time, Pratt, the clock's ticking!" Hellboy added helpfully.

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Dr. William S. Pratt re-entered his lab not knowing where to begin. He walked to his design desk and considered what to do in the time he had been granted by the Director, touching several blueprints that were tossed in there.

That's how Isis found him when she came to the lab, bringing him a cup of coffee. She knocked on the open door and offered him "Coffee?"

"Isis! Maybe you can help me with this project!"

"I'm just forensic pathologist, William. Not very good in building weapons…"

"Well, since you were the one telling Myers about my work, you should at least help me on this…"

"Fine! What do you need?"

"An idea on how an ultrasound weapon to be use by BPRD's agents."

"I hate to point it out, but that is your area of expertise." That got her a whining and skinny lab rat named Pratt. Unable to stand him at these conditions, she offered "Think about the needed specifications: it has to be small and light, otherwise an agent wouldn't e able to carry it; since you are always preaching how dangerous a shock between two sound waves can be, it should generate a single sound wake."

"Not exactly Isis, a sound wake can be just as harmful as shockwave. Also, we would need to find a way to prevent the agent being affected by it. It could be shaped as a gun, but this way it would reach a very specific and small area… Maybe like small bomb, one where the agent could regulate the sound intensity! The device would only need to generate a single sound, not too strong, but at the right frequency; that way not only a large area would be affected, but any humans present wouldn't be harmed!" He was now anxious calculating the weapon specifications at the other side of the lab with a curious Isis standing behind.

"Do you at least have a prototype?" She inquired.

"Of course I have! Here is my life's work!" And with that he showed her something that looked like an very antique radio with what looked like a few transistors attached to it, causing her eyebrows lift at her face in skepticism.

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**CHAPTER 17**

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After the meeting with Manning and Dr. Pratt was over, Abe walked alongside his friends through the corridors in the agents' quarters direction, observing Hellboy and John interact between themselves. They seemed more at ease with each other and, looking for the reasons behind the changes in their behaviors, he spotted a barely concealed love mark at John's neck. He waited until they arrived at Hellboy's quarter's door to excuse himself and give his friends some quality time alone, but before he left the room, he congratulated them on their new found relationship, complaining about the months of sexual tension he had to endure.

Not a fraction of second after Blue left the room, John found himself conveniently forced against a random wall and rapidly transforming into whimpering mass of pleasure. Hellboy had caught him by his clothes and, ripping away some buttons, cleared the path to John's neck and nipples, kissing, sucking and scratching his way down. John's hands timidly grabbed Bellboy's head, keeping it at some particular sweet points.

Allowing himself to enjoy the heat moment, he became bold and attached his mouth at the demons right ear, licking and biting it; his feelings intensity growing at every second passed. At some point the new lovers made it to the bed, cats running out of their descending way only to get covered by flying shirts and discarded pants. Hard bodies and teasing mouths fighting for the upper position until John surrendered with a deep sigh and Hellboy took possession of his body, mind and soul.

Later, the night found them still in bed, undisturbed by alarms or agents. The passion had calmed a little and small pillow talks initiated, lovers laughing at one's 'sexual prowess' and the other lack of expertise.

"I cannot believe you were a virgin..." John laughed commenting. A disbelieving tone transpired to his voice when he asked. "Come on... not even Liz?"

"Why did I ever tell you this?" Asked Hellboy looking at the heavens and praying for patience…

"You had your hands full during those years, huh?" John kept going.

"Aren't to suppose to appreciate the fact that you're my first lover ever?"

"I'm sorry H.B." John lovely kissed him before continuing his tirade. "I'm glad you waited for me for all those 60 years."

"Why you..." Hellboy uttered. before a red tail made itself known at Myers ass, effectively finishing any other conversations.

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The First Cathedral's construction dated from the 1800's and, in its prime, was described it as one of the greatest ornaments of the city. Now it was a ruined building at the city down town that seemed abandoned by God and Government, specially because politicians didn't want to risk precious votes in marking it for demolition, neither wanted to spend taxes payers money to rebuild it. So the ruined Cathedral remained untouched and forgotten by great part of the population; just like the labyrinth of mortuary vaults built underneath it.

Except by the mole people, who knew better than to step at tunnels located at the city center since the central community died. It was a strange thing to observe a community slowly disappear. It started with mysteriously disappearances of older members and children, but later escalated to mortal violent attacks. The central community leaders' didn't know what to do in order to stop those events except to isolate the area where they occurred.

The ban on the area didn't work, because what ever was taking those people moved to other populated areas and the disappearances and attacks continued. At his point, people started to whisper about seeing yellow eyes in the corridors or hearing growls echoing through the tunnels.

They were afraid, but remained in their homes, protecting themselves behind barricaded doors until the howling could be heard and frightening creatures could be seen. That was when the families start to move away from the area towards other communities, carrying their loving ones and never looking back. Some of them didn't even bother to pack their belongings, leaving them to the creatures that now howled at daytime just like they did it at night.

When the community finally surrendered to the inevitable, the stories about the haunted and cursed area spread through the entire population of the mole people. No one ever ventured to come back to the crypts located under the First Cathedral.

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The old Cathedral provided Dominic a useful place to use as a den since he could keep the pack protected – unwanted visitors getting lost in its labyrinths – and provide them food without much trouble since the people living on the city tunnels didn't officially exist. The fact that the crypts had never been used to guard bodies and could be easily used as quarters was an unexpected bonus.

When Dominic first visited the crypts, he had noticed the lack of flesh decaying smell around the place. Curious about this singular event, he entered the labyrinth, finding some objects that the mole people had left behind not so many years ago.

Continuing his expedition he walked into the very center of the labyrinth and found the Cathedral's long lost wine cellar that survived the mole people incursions. The wine bottles were carefully guarded in a series of small rooms that needed to be crossed to reach the larger and well lit one, where the 'saint men' appeared to held their more wild parties.

Some of the remaining furniture located at the room left side was placed surrounding a round hole that allowed a perfect upside view from the lower chamber to guests. Dominic correctly guessed that the lower chamber was used to provide more x-rated entertainment to the priests and their guests.

The lower chamber had been closed for centuries and, even after the pack moved inn and the mole people of the area disappeared, even when Sanders was brought in as prisoner, had not been used. At least not until Dominic transformed the unconscious cadets into the pack's hungered omegas they were now.

The betas were at Dominic's side in the room, their position symbolizing their superiority to the omegas inside the pack hierarchy. In the pack hierarchy, omegas werewolves where at the lowest-ranking, living on the fringes of the pack and eating at last if eating at all; they were, in one word, expendable.

Especially to Dominic, who intended to get rid of the excess his war against the BPRD had forced him to produce as soon as possible. They would be sacrificed in a few days, but still need to be fed with a few pieces of flash meat, because Dominic wanted to drive them mad at hunger and then released them inside the BPRD's headquarters.

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**CHAPTER 18**

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Steven Sanders' bruised hands wrapped at the iron bars that separated him from the old tunnel 8. His fingers were numb that morning and couldn't work properly not even to button up the ragged clothes he had found discard in the city sewer tunnels. Until that day, he didn't believe in the rumors about people living in the sewers.

He had been wrong about many things in his life, 'I was blind, but now I can see.' He thought ironically. He pushed the bars, forcing the gate to open up, wondering where he was while walking in what seemed to be a straight line. He crossed a small wooden area to discover the left entrance of the city's park, what told him he was at the Second Avenue's sidesteps. He had no money to call for a cab, which meant he had to find an emergency phone and fast or he certainly would loose more than his feet to the city's winter.

Bracing himself for the pain that any sort of movement generated, he walked straight to the small shop situated across the avenue and, seeing the metal garbage can at his side, threw it at the glass door that separated him from a phone. The alarms went on screaming his presence through the empty shop but he paid no attention, he had a mission to accomplish and for that, he had to reach BPRD and Manning.

After making the phone call, Sanders slipped to the floor and rest his head over his folded legs. This particular position was painful to him, but didn't bother him as much as the cold and exhaustion he was feeling.

Eyes closed against his will and he never saw the pity look the other agents of BPRD threw at him when they arrived at the scene.

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Sanders had been immediately taken to the infirmary ward after the rescue team noticed the seriousness of his condition. Manning had been notified of his agent's return and now was observing the doctors and nurses stitch the deeper slashes at the agent's back. The many cuts found along his arms and legs were already treated.

There were bruises all over the unconscious man body and, judging by the horror in the nurses faces, Manning was almost sure the agent had been raped. The Director didn't act like he cared about the agents he worked with, but that wasn't the truth it all; the hate he was feeling for the creatures responsible for his agents conditions was proof enough. Not only this, but there was the fact that doctors and nurses were obligated to report him every single injure or first sign of sickness in his agents, even more on Hellboy, Abraham Sapiens and John Myers.

He would be damned if they ever figure out that he kept constant and zealous watch over the late Professor's adopted sons and pet project, but they were his family too. So he kept them in short leash and secretly observed their ups and downs without them knowing about it. It was a 24/7 work that only promised more headaches with Hellboy and John falling in love and starting a relationship. Yet he was happy to do it.

A doctor left Sanders bedside to present his health status to the waiting Director. The man seamed to ponder where to begin the long list on injuries the agent had sustained and the disturbing evidences he had found out. Seeing the doctor's hesitance, Manning urged him "No sense in keeping the bad news for later Dr. Simmons. I'm seasoned enough to recognize a critical condition when I see it. Still, I need you to give me the specifics."

"He has been tortured and I found evidences of repeated rape and beatings. I also fear for his mental health, but this is nothing compared to the other things I saw in there."

"Things…Is that a medical term?"

"I don't know a medical term to describe a biting that is healing itself faster at every passing minute. The same thing is slowly happening to the other injuries, tough they will take some considerable time to disappear."

"A bite?" Manning repeated

"At his right shoulder, it won't kill him… actually, none of the injuries he's sporting is fatal; they'll hurt and slow him down, but won't kill him."

"I want you to get a blood sample from him and send it to the labs. Inform them to perform every single test they have down there and send me the results as fast as they can. I want to know everything that here is to know about abnormalities in his blood." That being said, Manning turned to leave but like an afterthought he added "And, doctor, remove him to the second floor's infirmary ward."

"But sir…!"

"You have your orders!" And he left.

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"Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish." That was a common joke around the BPRD personnel, one they used to tell around a little blond woman named Gillian Onora Dunlop – or GOD as her friends use to call her. She didn't mind the jokes because her co-workers seemed to think on her as a mother figure, a woman that watched and guarded every single one of them while they were at home.

She didn't mind because that was actually her work at the agency: to watch and protect everyone inside the BPRD from the 'Watch Tower' with a little help of the several cameras and sound devices installed in the building.

Despite its name, the 'Tower' was a secret room located at the second floor, whose walls were filled with dozens of widescreens that showed its operatives what and how the agents were doing all the time. This particular hard work was shared between Gillian and three other special agents. They were the ones responsible to bring to the others' attention the irony between Gillian's name and her work.

But GOD had her favorite, because whenever Gillian was alone in the room - what would happen when the 'guys' were in the cafeteria eating – she would devote a single camera and widescreen to observe a certain Special Agent Steven Sanders.

Tough she never had the guts to speak to him directly, Steven Sanders always made himself noticed by her, bringing her a cup of coffee or a box of caramel bonbons or even coming to the room to spend time with her. They would talk about everything on earth, including some agents they knew and a few gossips. She wasn't very fan of gossip, but couldn't refuse the one thing that linked her to Sanders. When Sanders disappeared, a small part of her heart died. BPRD never had any agents going MIA, they were always dead. She privately mourned her beloved friend, accepting his death as a part of their jobs.

Those silent tears stopped the minute Sanders was found and brought back home. Anxiously, she accessed video and audio from the room where he was being kept, listening every injured he suffered as the doctors treated them.

She heard when Director Manning ordered his removal to the second floor and felt scared for his safety since no human being was ever treated in that specific infirmary ward. That place was used to treat and hold paranormal beings, the ones BPRD wasn't so sure on what to do with them. Its rooms were highly secret and constitute a blind spot even to the Watch Tower.

GOD wasn't crying anymore, she was extremely worried.


	8. Chapter 8

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**CHAPTER 1****9**

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Mid day found Director Manning in Sanders' new room at the second floor infirmary, waiting for the special agent to wake up.

The blood exams the Director had ordered came back showing abnormal activity on the man's red cells that couldn't be explained by scientific methods. As it was, he was willing to bet Sanders was slowly transforming into a werewolf, into one of the things he used to hunt for living. He wondered if Sanders was aware of that and, if he didn't, how he was going to react when he wake up. Tom Manning stopped himself from continuing that line of thought that would lead to the question he was always afraid to answer…

In theory, you were expected to kill an agent who turned into something evil, especially if you were BPRD's Director since you are suppose to give the example. Reality was a little different tough, because it involves shooting someone you knew or worked side by side for years you. A real shot, a real bullet, a very real dead friend. Paper and ink could never do justice to the unique smell of gun powder and blood spread around the scene.

Manning scrubbed his hard, he felt old and tired. Looking at his hands while sat in the infirmary waiting for Sanders to wake up, he feared for the day when John would be at his place. The young agent was too good for not to be BPRD's next Director when he was ready or Manning was dead, whatever comes first. But he also knew that the younger man bled for the world – that being one of the reasons Broom had chosen him. That means he would never use and discard his agents, but COULD also mean he wouldn't have the guts to do the dirt job, the one that kills your colleagues.

He had to keep training and forcing John, not only to his own good, but for Hellboy and Sapiens sake. John had to be the next Director, besides… "One never knows…" He murmured to no one.

"Knows what, sir?" John asked him from the room's door.

"Humph. When to wake up and show at work, Myers! I've been waiting for hours!"

"Tsc. They say memory is the first thing to go when the age comes… You called us 10 minutes ago, Manning."

"Who you're kidding, red monkey? You don't know how to count!" Manning threw back happy in pushing the demon's buttons.

"A… I think Sanders is waking up, sir!" John said, happy about finding the perfect excuse to avoid any fights between his boss and his lover.

Sanders heard the loud voices in the room as he was awakening and urged himself to open his eyes, while his brain keep nagging him about forgetting something important, life or dead kind of something. He had a mission, but couldn't remember what it was…

The room was spinning when his eyes finally opened, allowing him to recognize Manning's face at his bedside. "…Werewolves…They are attackin' the…" He said to Manning trying to convey the right feeling to urge the old man.

Those particular words took the room occupants by surprise. Apparently Sanders had not only escaped the werewolves, but managed to get his hands on vital information about the pack next attack. Realizing that the information could signify the pack's end, Manning asked him "What they're attacking Sanders?"

"…attacking…" The man repeated slipping back to unconsciousness.

Manning tried again to asking the attack's target, but it was useless, Sanders had passed out again.

"Damn it! We can't get a break, can we? We have a solution, but it will take time to construct the weapon; we have a lead, but the only guy that has it can't stay awake long enough to tell us!" Hellboy ranted.

"You think Abe could read his mind?" John ventured.

"He is too out of it to Sapiens find anything useful; especially with the drugs he had been fed." Manning answered.

"So we have to wait." John concluded.

"No, we don't! I want you down in the labs John, talk to Pratt and see if you can get anything out of him before the deadline I gave. Take Sapiens with you. I want him to synthesize a rose serum as strong as he can. We need an alternative in case they attack before the USW project isn't concluded in time, even with that means our agents fighting with damn red roses bouquets on their hands!"

John walked out of the ward with Hellboy at his side and his faithful cell at hand, asking Blue to meet them in Dr Pratt's lab.

Seeing no point in staying at man's bedside, Manning left the room, instructing the second infirmary personnel to call his office the second Sanders was awake.

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Sitting on the old cathedral pews, Dominic watched the sun go down through the broken stained glass windows that could be seen over the altar. He heard the omegas whining and growling at the prospect of food, they were too hungry to care about the natural thrill that comes from the first hunt.

He lightly considered leading them through the empty tunnels to keep them form eating something before arriving at BPRD's headquarters; he didn't want them to spoil their appetite.

His betas – in other hand – only cared about the hunt and the revenge. He hadn't bothered to explain the omegas final destiny to them, his plan and its consequences concerned only to him – the alpha – and no one else. The betas would accept this need to know condition as long they have their share of blood and gore. Dominic smile, there would be plenty of it. He just had to care for some particular aspect of his plan that he couldn't trust to his pack, only to himself.

He closed his eyes beckoning the image of John Myers's lean body and sweet heated smell as his fangs and hand's nails involuntarily grew. His mouth salivated at the arousing idea of turning John into his new mate, forcing him into submission, hunting and copulating with him, keeping that precious smell at his side, forever. A frightening howl echoed through the freshly born night, speaking of lust and revenge.

The creature descended back to its reign and stopped at its very center to wait for its pack. It didn't take long, soon several others howling responded to its call, werewolves moving deliberately slowly toward the alpha, ready to kill or die for him. Once reunited, the pack crossed the crypts' opening to the tunnels below the city with the alpha leading the way.

It was a sight that instilled terror in the heart of the tunnels. The mole people locked and barricaded their doors in fear what was crossing the tunnels, only whispering and when absolutely needed. Their markets had closed, its 'street' empty, they knew Death was coming and could only hope to remain unnoticed.

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**CHAPTER ****20**

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Dr. Andrew Bloom never understood why BPRD worked the way it did. There were more rules, strict procedures and dogmas than the Catholic Church or any hospital the young ambitious doctor ever worked before. The young doctor had been assigned to Steven Sanders' case after he was transferred for the second floor infirmary ward. The older doctors had protested vehemently him being hired to work as BPRD staff, especially once they heard he would be performing his miracles at the second floor which was known by the high level of difficulty of its cases. Bloom was too young, too ambitious, and too disrespectful of rules and procedures to work appropriately in there.

He didn't care for the gossips, because he was sure that he would prove them all wrong no matter the work conditions and, more specifically, he would show them that some rules could and should be broken. And that what got him in to the current predicament…

'Almost like the Military' He thought while crossing the infirmary ward. 'It is a small slip on the infirmary routine, after all, it was a simple request made by an employer about a patient's status. Besides, the poor bastard can barely move, so it's not like he can leave anytime he wants'. He truly believed that he was ready to face Manning's fury when he figured out that his orders had been forgotten.

That kind of logic didn't stop Tom Manning of using the man's face to clean the nurses' station at the infirmary since didn't tolerate that kind of mistakes from no one on his agency, absolutely, no one. With an arm heavily pressed against the back of his neck he learned a valuable lesson in never disobeying the Director's orders even if it was a little too late: he not only received a dressing down but also was immediately fired in front of his entire staff.

Satisfied that the error would not be repeated in the future Manning finished saying to the doctor in a low and menacing voice "Now, you'll take me to Sanders room and give me the man's health report".

Trembling a little, the doctor led Manning to the desired room and told him what the nurses had observed about the patient's condition, pointing out the fevered look the man has sported the whole afternoon. They opened the room's door and saw the man sleeping turned to the left wall, his face hided by the white sheets.

The minute the room's door close behind him, Manning felt a strong arm slid through his neck and hold him firmly, crushing his windpipe and stopping the blood from reaching his brain. He tried to move to his attacker left, but whoever was behind him anticipated the movement and prevented him from escaping the unwavering hold. Two seconds later, his lips started to assume a bluish discoloration and his vision to fade.

Meanwhile Bloom was concentrated in his own incessant babbling, desperately trying to save his job and totally oblivious to the fact that Manning was being killed few feet from where he was standing. 'The stupid self-centered ass…' The Director thought. While he considered letting the idiot be killed, but his brain finally gave up the fight to remain awake, his last conscious thought was that he was happy he had fired the incompetent bastard.

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The Doctor approached the bedside and turned to further explain his actions, but when he turned back, Manning was unconscious in the patient's arms. He opened his mouth to scream, but the mass of hate and insanity that moved swiftly towards him stopped him for uttering a word. With the corner of his eyes the young doctor looked at the man laid in bed and then again too his captor, eyes conveying his lack of understanding.

Sanders chuckled and clarified him "It WAS your nurse." That being said, he twisted the doctor's neck, killing him. He waste no time in dragging the doctor's body and hiding it under the bed, pondering about what to do with the unconscious Director at his feet.

The old man could be useful, but knowing him by the bastard he usually was, Sanders didn't believe he would get any cooperation from the older man, neither could he walk around BPRD's corridors carrying the man over his shoulder. That left hiding him inside the small wardrobe. At least the old man would be devastated in knowing he had be knocked unconscious and threw into a wardrobe.

It was a heavy piece of furniture, originally built to give the room a false impression that whoever came to occupy the room was a honored guest. Smiling satisfied at the solution he had found, Sanders emptied Manning's pockets, handcuffed and pushed him in to the closet, locking its door and taking the keys with him.

Using the dead man's keycard, Sanders opened the room's door and proceeded to leave the ward without being caught.

The second floor of the building housed many different kinds of labs, full of jealous and slightly paranoid scientists plagued by nightmares where they would loose their discoveries and inventions to spying colleagues. Sanders wasn't overly concerned in being spot by anyone, except for the little dumb woman at the Watch Tower. It could be difficult to convince her to open the Watch Tower's door for an infirmary fugitive and he couldn't afford the chance of being captured before complete his mission. So he had to move as fast as he could to secure his position or the Alpha's plan would be ruined.

Scenting his way through the corridors, he had to hide in one of the many second floor corridors to prevent being spot for some security agents making their round. He cursed his luck; he didn't have time to hide-and-seek games. Sooner or later someone would come looking for Manning and certainly would activate the alarms after finding the dead bodies stashed in there. Deciding to risk his chances, he run all the way to the Watch Tower and reaching its door, called for Gillian.

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Gillian had left the Watch Tower earlier in order to deliver the surveillance report from the previous day, ordinarily that particular work was relegated to one of her co-workers, since she saw no reason to abandoning her 'office' to push paper around. But today it had been different.

She had spend the whole day looking at the unconscious form of Steven Sanders and felt she needed to leave the tower in order to save her lucidity and actually DO something useful at work. She was just returning to the Tower when heard her name being called by a recuperating Sanders at her door. "Steven… You should be at bed, resting! What are you doing here?"

Taken by surprise, Sanders turned to see his precious target "Gil… I kind needed to talk to someone and, since you're a friend…"

"But you shouldn't be wandering around in your condition. I, I have been worried sick about you!" She say approaching him.

"You think we can get in and talk for a while? I really need to talk…"

Opening the Tower's door she answered him "Sure. Come in, I'm sure the guys are about to leave for a lunch break." He smiled to her and got in, closing the door behind.

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**CHAPTER ****21**

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The United States Postal Services was known by its has many special privileges, such as sovereign immunity, eminent domain powers, powers to negotiate postal treaties with foreign nations, and an exclusive legal right to deliver first-class and third-class mail. Being the third-largest employer in the United States and operating the largest civilian vehicle fleet in the world, the majority of the cities were happy to be chosen as a location to one of their buildings, even if it was a mere warehouse.

The warehouse built at industrial area of the city was known to the general public as the U.S. Postal Inspection Service junk yard, receiving any deemed suspect package posted through the mail system. As the authorities said "Once inside the warehouse, the USPIS agents would conduct search and any tests necessary to the suspected packages, eliminating the dangerous ones after identifying their senders". It was a convenient excuse that explained not only the presence and intense movement of garbage trucks in the 9,000 square meters warehouse, but just as well the constant influx of FBI agents and one or two particularly nasty explosions in the area during the year.

Tough, there were a few rumors about its unexplained energy consumption rates; they were attributed to the city's resident conspiracy theories lunatics rant. People had no solid reason that there was more it the building than meets the eye, which made it perfect to house elevator that lead to BPRD's main entrance.

Over the elevator, a large bulletproof and blast resistant windows signalized the control tower of the building – BPRD's first official check point, the security guards protecting the building exterior not withstanding. The second check point would be BPRD's front door that could only be open from inside. Alas, security is nothing but an illusion as any men would attest.

It was already dark when several werewolves started to came out from the back alleys surrounding the area. They moved silently among the shadows, scenting for the security guards and only approaching the building when they were sure that no one would be able to spot them. It was a fairly simple plan, to come as close to the gates as possible, avoiding the sensors of the "control tower", and wait for the right time.

For inexplicable reason, the lights and sensors started to blink at the "control tower", forcing the security guards outside to move quickly and to stand in the front gates and main entrances of the building. Seconds later, the security controls were slowly shutting down, rendering the warehouse completely blind and defenseless especially since they couldn't coordinate the guards on floor or electronically close the gates.

Inside the control tower, some agents tried to locate an external reason for the power shortage, while their Chief tried to report the incident back to Manning. BPRD's dispatch attempts to locate Manning came back negative as the werewolves started to attack the guards outside, killing anything that looked human in their way to the warehouse building.

The large pack barged fast in the warehouse, taking only seconds to reach and open its door in order to invade and kill those inside the building. By then, Dispatch was giving up on finding Manning and was passing the information to BPRD's second in command, Special Agent John Myers.

Inside the control tower, one of the guards saw a pair of yellow eyes reflect inside the warehouse, preying an unsuspecting guard at the ground level. In mute terror, he saw the creature pounce and killed the man. He still couldn't speak when he moved away from the windows with wide eyes. Automatically, his left hand searched for the inconspicuous red button at the vigilance station and dropped heavily on it, setting the attack alarms on inside the building.

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Hell broke loose in BPRD's corridors, operative agents – the ones trained to field missions – ran to the front doors in order to defend the building while the remaining agents with no particular gun's expertise left their offices following the emergency procedures.

Hellboy was running too, towards Manning office, where he could find out what specific threat he was about to deal with and receive the Directors orders. Abraham was still in the labs trying to achieve better results on the serum development when the alarms went on, forcing him to abandon his task and come to the first floor in order to join the defenses forces. They met at Manning's empty office, concern increasing at the suspicious Director's disappearance act.

Few seconds later John showed up screaming furiously at dispatch for their slow response at the control tower's alarm.

"What the hell is going on, Boy Scout?" Hellboy asked his lover.

"Dispatch called me to inform a power shortage at the building's exterior after being unable to reach Manning and now the alarms went on." He said moving to Manning's desk in order to activate the office's widescreen wall. "He came back here after we all left Sanders room. Wait! That was probably the attack Sanders was trying to warn us! What means…" John answered.

"That there is a pack of rabid werewolves knocking at ours doors! Damn it, one damn thing after the other! It just keeps getting better and better." Hellboy completed for him. "Abe, can you confirm this?"

Abe concentrate and felt the werewolves rage in his mind, capturing the panic and pain emanating from the security guards in the ground level. "It's true! They are here and they are many!! Security has being compromised at the front gates; I can feel the security guards dying at the entrance."

Hearing this, John summarized the situation with a loud "Shit!" and proceeded to instruct all the agents on the building to use silver as a defense method, properly identifying the enemies attacking the headquarters through the communicators.

"I can't fell Manning in the building. Maybe he left?" Abe suggested.

"No way, that prick wouldn't voluntarily leave the building in the middle of a crisis. It has to be another explanation, one that will wait until we survive this. If we survive, because I'm not sure with the agents can hold a pack without the proper guns."

"We aren't totally unprepared" Abe surprised them. "I made the serum and its being mass produced as we speak. We just need to resist long enough for it."

"And how are we supposed to administer it? There is no time to product enough darts, Blue."

"We don't have to, once finish it, we can introduce the serum at BPRD's sprinkler system."

John was turning all the computers on and collecting data as Hellboy was speaking. He tried to access the video from the front gates cameras or even the 'control tower', but failed to retrieve them. "Shit! It seems that all the cameras in the area are out." Turning back to the computer, he tried to contact the Watch Tower in hopes of discovering what was causing this convenient blindness.

The widescreen turned on, providing the BPRD's hunters with images of a completely destroyed room, with the tower's watchers mutilated bodies on the background and a smiling Steven Sanders face looking back at them. "Hello, John. I believe you're already preparing to entertain your new guests, huh? Don't you worry, kid…they'll feel welcomed enough once I open the internal doors."


	9. Chapter 9

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**CHAPTER ****22**

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John felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up at those words and his blood ran faster at the traitor confession. "You… Why? You were third man in command; Manning trusted you, the agents you're about to condemn trusted their lives in your hands…" With fisted hands he held tightly at Manning's desk and concluded "How could you?"

Steven Sanders laughed bitterly at these words. "Trust? Who cared for their trust? I only want what I deserve for my hard worked, my years of dedication to this agency. I worked hard along side Clay to build and prepare this place! When he died, I should be the one entitled to assume his job! Me! Not you, golden boy." He laughed a little bit longer until his eyes flicked to his right side, a sadistic smile blossoming on his face. "Excuse-me John, but someone is knocking at the door!"

Hellboy punched the wall, frustrated. "That stupid ass can't remain in the Watch Tower! He's messing with the agency door, Scout."

"I'll handle him." John said to them while tapping rapidly at the computers keyboard in hopes of overruling the commands coming from the Watch Tower. "You and Abe go to the front doors and command the defense lines! Meanwhile I'll shut down the Watch Tower and try to locate Manning. GO!"

When he heard Hellboy turned to leave the room, John's head shot up and the young man crossed the room quickly to grab the red demon's face, looking into this eyes. "You get killed and I'll kick your sorry ass you hear me?" Seeing the answered he was looking for shining in Hellboy's eyes, he kissed him fiercely and let him go.

Then, turning to Abe, he added "The same goes for you too, Abe!"

Abe blinked and smiling said "What? No kisses?"

"That and several other following areas of John's body are off limits, you perverted fish!" a jealous Hellboy hastily supplied all the while pushing the amphibian out the door, grumbling under his breath against people lack of respect for the seventh commandment. He looked to John one last time before closing the door, forcing himself to memorize the man he loved just in case there was no tomorrow, just in case…

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Hellboy and Abe ran to the front door, making way through the sea of agents coming or going in the corridors to assume their respective positions at the defenses forces between the front door and the corridors leading to BPRD's interiors. With Manning out of picture and John forced to occupy his place in BPRD's leadership, they were lacking leaders to guide the men in the floor. Their fire power was a serious mess, since the agents couldn't fight hand-to-hand to the werewolves and their weapons needed to be combined to cause considerable damaged to a single werewolf.

They had no choice but to use heavy armament first, locating them a few meters away from the massive gate that constituted BPRD's front door and blocking the access to BPRD's internal corridors. The front door was a massive iron gate, carved with protection symbols and a large closed upright pentagram on its center. It was an irony that none of them affected werewolves and that one of them was responsible for opening it.

Behind the "heavy artillery", agents armed with crossbows gave a singular flair to the upcoming battle scene, hopping to weak the werewolves for the other operative agents, situated inside the corridors, had a better chance to kill them with their respective guns.

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In Manning's office, John hacked the Watch Tower's computer system, trying to regain control or shut down its mainframe when Sanders came back to the widescreen to taunt him.

"What are you doing John? Not trying to shut me down are you?" When he got no answer from John, he continued his tirade "You understand that this is all your fault, right John boy? Taking my place, causing the alpha's mate death… it's all on you! " He laughed a little and got a reaction from the young man.

"You're a sick fucker, Sanders! I understand this perfectly, this isn't about me, it's about your damn injured ego! You…"

"Oh… here they come, John!" Sanders announced.

Realizing Sanders' intent in slowing his work and refusing to let him take away the concentration he needed, the young man refocused on his task of shutting down the Watch Tower's mainframe, murmuring the first thing that came to his mind,.

---------------------------------

The howling and the scratching claws that could be heard coming from outside the door was draining away the courage of the agents and reinforcing the idea that their weapons were useless against the werewolves.

Their fear was tangible and made Blue sick. He came closer to Hellboy and whispered at his ear the feelings he was getting from the defenses forces. The red demon nodded his understanding and hacked his brain in search of anything inspired to tell the men and women around, but it came up blank. When the front doors started to open slowly, he let out an exasperate sigh and prepared to yell and inappropriate 'Life is a bitch and then you dye!' when John's voice came as pray trough the communicators, sounding strongly in every single agent ears:

"There shall be no halting, or half measures, there shall be no compromise, or parley. These gangs of bandits have sought to darken the light of the world; have sought to stand between the common people of all the lands and their march forward into their inheritance. They shall themselves be cast into the pit of death and shame, and only when the earth has been cleansed and purged of their crimes and their villainy shall we turn from the task which they have forced upon us, a task which we were reluctant to undertake, but which we shall now most faithfully and punctiliously discharge."

Hellboy and Abe looked at each other and laughed at John's involuntary memory on Churchill's speech. Small smiles blossomed at the agents' faces and when the young man continued unaware of his every word being heard.

"We have to win it by our sacrifices. We have not won it yet. The crisis is upon us. The power of the enemy is immense. If we were in any way to underrate the strength, the resources or the ruthless savagery of that enemy, we should jeopardize, not only our lives, for they will be offered freely, but the cause of human freedom and progress to which we have vowed ourselves and all we have. We cannot for a moment afford to relax. On the contrary we must drive ourselves forward with unrelenting zeal. In this strange, terrible world war there is a place for everyone, man and woman, old and young, hale and halt; service in a thousand forms is open. There is no room now for the dilettante, the weakling, for the shirker, or the sluggard. The mine, the factory, the dockyard, the salt sea waves, the fields to till, the home, the hospital, the chair of the scientist, the pulpit of the preacher - from the highest to the humblest tasks, all are of equal honour; all have their part to play. The enemies ranged against us, coalesced and combined against us, have asked for total war. Let us make sure they get it."

And then there was silence and the door opened.

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**CHAPTER ****23**

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Werewolves and wolves were alike in many things, they live with their small packs in dens, mating for life; depend on their sense of smell and hearing more than their eyesight; and were predators with character traits that shape them into shy, bold, dominant, submissive, extroverted or introverted individuals. The difference rested in the fact that while a wolf would rarely attack a human being, a werewolf love to hunt them for their flesh.

Usually, on hunts, they would approach and circle their prey, attacking only after finding a successful way of reaching the prey. The first attacking werewolf would be followed by another and another; until all of them were in the fight and the prey was dead – sporting multiples biting on its body. But today was different: the werewolve's pack had tested the humans and identified them as weaker animals, or in less words: prey, defenseless prey ad they would suffer for it; also, they refused to waste time chasing the humans around BPRD's building, deciding to kill them as painful and fast as possible.

The building's first floor was the part of the complex that held not only the majority of the agents quarters and offices, but the kitchen, weaponry, training facilities, situations rooms and the Library. Because of this, most of the agents slept, ate, trained and work in that populated floor. It was also the primarily target in case of an attack against BPRD's, since it was the most accessible part of the complex. To diminish the casualties in case of attack, the BPRD's architects projected it as a huge labyrinth, where an uninvited guest would get easily lost inside.

Three totally independent elevators - built at different locations at the floor – provided access to the others parts of the complex, but they would only work once every passenger typed his own personal code in the elevator's panel.

To attack the first floor, the enemy would have to enter the warehouse, facing its two checkpoints, use a 7 digit code to turn on the elevator hidden in the back of the building and reach the tunnels were BPRD's front doors were located. In case of attack, an emergency procedure computer program would start to run at BPRD's main computer – one that only the Director had access and knew about its location – that would lead the non-operative agents to safer ground, save BPRD's projects on the labs and store them on its core and communicate the invasion to one specific authority at the White House.

So the werewolves changed their ways: the minute they arrived at the tunnels and crossed the internal doors, they charged in extreme velocity against their victims, sometimes jumping to avoid being hit by the agent's bullets. They were coming for the humans on their way, their strikes were fast and lethal: biting, ripping, and tearing apart their preys, making way for the betas and alpha that were coming behind them.

The high-power machine guns fed with silver cartridges that BPRD had as first line of defense and the unfortunates agents operating them couldn't compete with the werewolves' agility and speed: even when the bullets hit the targets, there wasn't enough silver to slow them down, so it didn't take long until the werewolves reached the first line and attacked it, slaughtering any agents they could find.

The survivors of the first attack didn't have much time to celebrate since a second group of werewolves came behind, this one filled with more experienced and stronger werewolves. By the time the second line was under attack, the first one had been obliterated.

It wasn't a simple matter of numbers; their enemies were a pack formed with incredibly deadly creatures who felt joy in one-on-one combats, while BPRD could produce only two warriors with similar straights. The conclusion was inevitable: they were loosing the battle and loosing fast.

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Back in the infirmary, Manning woke up with John's voice I his ears, the muffed sounds morphing into what he recognized as an old Churchill's speech.

'Leave it to John to wake a guy with this sort of thing' He thought before his mind went into overdrive about the reasons why he was presently handcuffed and inside a stupid wardrobe. Without hesitance, he changed his position and started kicking the door opened, successfully achieving his intent at the third kick.

Stumbling to the infirmary room's floor, he managed to bring his handcuffed hands into his front with more difficulties that he would ever admit to himself and, after opening the secured room's door, yelled to an astonished male nurse at the corridor to get his gun and shot the handcuffs open.

Finding himself free, he immediately contacted John.

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At the office, John heard the Director announcing his location at the building's second floor and asking for a report and felt relief washing over him.

Afraid to give away the Director's precious position, he channeled his audio to the Director's comm. and started a conversation with Sanders "I hope you enjoy your little revenge scheme while at lasts Sanders, the werewolves are entering the headquarters but we manage to prepare a welcome reception for them."

"Don't be ridiculous John. We both know their weapons aren't enough to prevent the attack. It's amazing what a determined creature can achieve, don't you think? A simple attack plan and BPRD's procedures are rendered useless."

"How did you manage to enter the Watch Tower, Sanders? I know Abe had locked your personal codes and there was no way the watchers let you in!"

"That proves how much you don't know about the way things work around here, Scout. I have being able to access the towers video files for months! Courtesy from the little Gillian… The bitch thought I was interest in her and handed me all the information I ever wanted about the agents' lives and routines, especially yours."

"So you used and then killed her!" Accused John, who felt his rage at the traitor increase exponentially.

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Manning heard the conversation and understood John's idea, while waiting for what was coming next in the radioed conversation he learned Sanders' location and ran through the corridors in the direction of the Watch Tower, knowing for sure he had to assume control of the room.

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Initially, it was nothing but a blur, but John saw movement behind Sanders' back… Someone was still alive in there… He schooled his face to not show it to Sanders, hopping things were starting to get their way. He forced himself to laugh and looking directly to Sanders' image he said "So you used a woman to secure you're here? How long have you been using her? Since you came to BPRD? We both know you aren't competent enough to be Clay's partner by yourself."

That got him the desired effect, because he was so furious and focused at John, Sanders failed to notice someone's hand reaching for a gun behind him. "You stupid son of a bitch! You…" His words were stopped by Gillian's stricken words "How dare you?"

Sanders turned his back to the camera and John cursed Gillian's outraged tirade. She was no match to his preternatural speed and if he chooses to change into werewolf's form, there was no way her pistol would be enough to killed him.

"Don't be stupid bitch, that gun has no effect on me! Besides, you barely can lift your hand from the floor, what makes you think you can shoot me?" He scorned her. To her credit, Gillian didn't waste any more words, shooting him at the very center of his head.

John heard the single shot and saw Sanders body fell in slow motion, hitting a few panels on its way down. He blinked a few time and before finally comprehend Manning yells at his ear.

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It took Manning a few minutes to reach the towers door and he was considering how to barge inside the room when the yelling made itself heard. A single shot was fired and he was throwing himself at the room's side wall to prevent being hit.

Unable to determine what had just happened inside the room, he asked a new report from John. "Sir, Gillian had just shot Sanders. I can only confirm that he is down and injured." Then he heard John talking to the woman inside the room, urging her to stand up and open the Tower's door.

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John looked pleadingly at the bleeding woman's image and talked to her "Gill, I'm sorry, but I need you to stand up and open the door! The Director is waiting just outside… Please Gill, we need you!" He kept repeating it to the woman and all the time signaling a red alert to the infirmary, hoping to have paramedics send to the Tower. "Gill!" he said desperately, "Get you ass up and open the damn door; we are in the middle of a crisis for God's sake!"

That got her focusing enough to assume a painfully stand up position. Hands red with blood, she was having a hard time to walk in the door's direction and breathing at the same time. It seemed like an eternity had passed when she reached the door control, fighting to move her body coordinately enough to press the correct code to open it. When she finally did it, she collapsed through the opening door in to Director's Manning arms, murmuring a soft "I'm sorry" before passing out.

Manning was in a hurry; he dragged her unconscious body out of the room and laid her on the corridor. Coming back with his gun at hand, moved to Sanders body, shooting at its heart, afraid of taking any chances. He closed the Watch Tower securely behind himself and came to the room's widescreens. "John, I want a full report as fast as you can"

"Sir! The werewolves breached our external security levels and the internal front doors. Standard procedures had been followed and Hellboy and Abe are at the defense lines leading the operative agents. Non-operatives are being evacuated to the second level. I'm at your office, sir, but I can't stop the doors from opening."

"It's no use, Myers. Sanders destroyed its control panels. We'll have to send them away by ourselves. Any news on that miraculous weapon of yours, kid?"

"No, sir, but Abe succeeded in producing the serum, problem is that it will take some time to mass productions be finished. We're considering mixing the serum with the water and administrate it by the fire sprinklers. I'm just finishing programming it into the computers."

"Good. After that, I want' you to go and help Hellboy and Sapiens lead our men."

"…Thank you sir." John said with relief before turning back to work.

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**CHAPTER ****24**

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Having no other way to fight, the agents retreated back to the corridors and then the first floor offices, trying to lure the werewolves to smallest spaces in hope that the lack of space would provide them the advantage they needed to win the fight. When that didn't work, they used their hand grenades at least to incapacitate the enemy.

Their retreat ended up isolating Hellboy and Abraham, while their grenades hurt more their own friends than the werewolves. They were obviously lacking a leader. This was the very first problem that Manning identified after repossessing the Watch Tower and the first he proceeded to correct.

"What the hell are you waiting for, you bunch of idiots? Don't let them isolate you, work in groups damn it! Regroup! I repeat regroup and attack together at the same target!" And it worked. They began to slowly form small groups with three and four agents, back to back, preventing immediate attacks; soon the groups were getting larger and they focused their fire a target at time, managing to gain back some small part of the corridors.

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In the middle of the battle, Hellboy and Abe were fighting back-to-back, protecting each other against the werewolves surrounding them. It wasn't easy to fight the way they were doing, especially with the werewolves' rapid onslaught on them, forcing their separation only to escape sharpen claws and evade deadly bites, making almost impossible for them to strike back. Their situation got more dangerous when the other agents were force to retreat, leaving them to fight alone in a particularly infested area.

That's when Abe got something from a werewolf, something distant from simple rage and blood lust, more vicious and calculated. He couldn't determine which one of the attackers was giving that distinct nasty feeling. Abe could fell the werewolf in question getting farther and farther away from him and the feeling was about to disappear when a particular rush crossed his mind: a werewolf silent celebration. He was commending himself for BPRD's final defeat by the bomb he was about to plant in the building.

That discovery got Abe forcing his mind to expand and penetrate the secrets of that specific mind, trying desperately to understand the reasons for the certainty he was feeling, but he never got an answer. This distraction from the battle at hand cost him dearly. When Abe paid attention to his surroundings he saw that he had been separated from Hellboy, unable to reach him or warn about the new threat.

He shot a few times and reached his comm to contact Manning.

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They're numbers had dwindled, but they were resisting better against the invasion when John arrived at the scene. Having listened Manning's orders, he quickly opened a small arsenal located in the first floor and started to distribute all the silver halberds in there to the agents he could find. Thanks to him, the groups now moved through the corridors with some of them holding the halberds high to prevent the werewolves from jumping at their middle and killing them, while others simply concentrate in shooting them.

John got in one of those groups and moved forward, trying to locate his friends in the corridors. They were hunting when Manning contacted them and ordered them to rescue Abe as fast as they could and then escort him to one of the elevators. As an afterthought, the Director informed him that Abe's serum was been mixed to the water in the pipes that feed the fire sprinklers and in few more minutes they would be able to release it at the entire building.

John didn't bother to ask for an explanation about what Abe had to do that was so important to leave their fight, not only because the Director wasn't offering, but because he inwardly trusted the two man to know what was important or not in a time like that.

Moving in a straight line, they reaching the end of the corridor and changed their course to the left. They could already see Abe shooting desperately at the two werewolves attacking him. John threw the silver halberd he was carrying, hitting one of the werewolves at his heart while he was in the air. "Lucky shot…" He said astonished while his group aimed their guns at the second werewolf.

Happy with the success, they ran to cover Abe's back and were welcomed by Abe with a "John, my hero, how medieval of you to come save me… with a halberd." John smiled briefly at the comment and proceeded to escort him in the direction of the elevators.

That task wasn't easy, since the second floor's accesses were under heavy attack from the werewolves; dead bodies leading the way to the closest elevator. There were men and women covering the floor with their blood and mortal remains. It was a gruesome path to walk and lights were starting to fail, probably because of the damages at the electrical system caused by the grenades that were occasionally used by the agents.

They arrived at the elevator without uttering a word, afraid to reveal their position to any enemy around. Abe nodded his thanks for them got in the elevator, leaving them behind. Despite the fact they couldn't see any werewolves in that particular area, instincts were telling them that there was something incredibly dangerous waiting for them and John used his personal code to seal the elevator after Abe arrived at the floor he wanted. Now, no one could follow the demon.

The group resumed its way back to the fight, choosing a random corridor at the left. The sensation of walking into danger intensified at each step made. The corridors lights went out and they lifted their guns preparing for being attacked. John tried to find the enemy he knew is was there, hiding in the shadows, but got no luck in spotting him.

They were took by surprise when they heard and felt a huge explosion coming from somewhere around the quarters. There was a fire barely illuminating the corridor ahead of the group forcing them to return to the point they were coming.

At that precisely moment, the ceiling came down, killing most of them and trapping the unconscious survivors.


	10. Chapter 10

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**CHAPTER ****25**

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Hellboy had lost his backup in the heat of the battle and felt a little guilt about it. He hoped Abe was able to defend himself from the attacks, especially since the agents had retreated to the corridors, leaving the demons to fend for their lives. Concentrating in fighting the last three werewolves coming back to attack him, he managed to kill one with the Samaritan's good help. Two beautiful shots aimed too the creature heart. Unfortunately to him, that seemed to enrage the others werewolves coming at him, attacking him more viciously after seeing their comrade's death.

'That is not good' He thought 'two rabid werewolves, no one around to cover my ass… Not good it all' He decided to join the agents strategy and avoid large spaces, forcing the werewolves to walk and attack in line. Somewhere from his left he heard the gun shots coming closer and closer and added another priority to his staying alive list: avoid friend fire.

After he had shot the Samaritan's last bullets, he ran to the first door he could find, which happens to be BPRD's kitchen back entrance. The only thing stopping him from crying in frustration was the sudden though that, if John was by any reason seeing his movements from Manning's office, that wouldn't be a manly thing to do. Not having any way out, he came in, closing the door and moved forward while looking around desperately, trying to find something to use as a weapon.

He found nothing but food, bacon to be exact. Taking a bite at a particular cold piece of bacon he considered his situation. Empting his pockets at a working table situated at his front, he found a cigar, his faithful lighter and a small bomb… 'Finally something I can use it…" Thought, there was a small problem with the bomb since it didn't have enough power to kill the werewolves knocking at the barricaded door. Another desperately once over through the kitchen revealed him the industrial ovens situated at the right wall.

Knowing it was only a matter of time until the werewolves find him; he turned the oven on max, programmed his bomb to explode in 10 seconds and got the hell out of that rat trap through the kitchen's front door. He had just reached a second corridor when he heard his little parting gift. The explosion literally destroyed everything around the kitchen including the energy installations of the first floor, plus a few surrounding corridors.

He was recovering and laughing hard at the explosion when Manning said in his communicator "That was a stupid thing to do son". But that didn't erase the satisfied smile from his face.

--------------------------

After a few seconds, Manning could see the byproducts of Hellboy's juvenile act and it reminded him of an old lesson from Nikita Khrushchev 'Bombs do not choose. They will hit everything'. And indeed they did.

Hellboy's explosion surprised the agents, plunging the floor in the darkness, bringing down a part of the ceiling and a few offices and quarters around the kitchen and knocking a few groups and agents out; but it also provoked the strong sound wave and the smoke that rendered useless the werewolves smell and hearing senses, plus activated the fire sprinklers, liberating Abe's serum earlier then programmed by John.

And all the sudden it was Manning's time to laugh.

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John didn't know exactly what had happened, one minute he was with his group hunting in a corridor and the next there was no more corridor or group. He tried to move but a large piece of the ceiling was holding him down.

When the emergencies lights went on, he was having trouble to breathe properly with all the dust and smoke in the air. Thanks to the red lights flashing he saw the huge werewolf coming to him, for him. It was the biggest one he had seen so far and, given his present conditions trapped under debris, he could easily say that he was 'Fucked up, seriously fucked up'.

Seeing the huge werewolf coming, he gave a cursory look in order to find any discarded weapon on the floor, managing to find a forgotten sig not so distant from him. His movement didn't go unnoticed to the predator, which showed him his fangs and growled low promising severe punishment at any movement from him.

When the threat didn't discourage John, the werewolf jumped over the debris that was holding him down, pressuring wounds the young man didn't even know existed. John cried and his hands shot involuntarily to grab and aim the gun at his attacker, but a sharp claw got his arm, sending the offending gun flying away in to the dark.

The fire sprinklers went on that precisely moment and, to the trapped agent, it looked like a gentle rain falling in the BPRD's corridors, adding a little more dramatic element to the scene. "I got to stop reading romances." He said close to unconsciousness. With heavy eyes he heard a few chuckles coming from the slowly changing beast, yellow eyes morphing to Dominic's blues.

I didn't take long for the blond man smile down at John and caress John's soft face. His melodic "Hello John. I told you we would be meeting again." Were the last words John heard that night.

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Abe was running through the second floor, trying to feel his way to the werewolf he was hunting. His telepath abilities couldn't particular distinguished the human minds he was bumping from the werewolf's and he was about to conclude that it was a futile quest when Manning offered him advice: "Many non-operative agents had came down to the second level Sapiens and no werewolves had been seen around, so it's safe to assume the werewolf has disguised itself using its human form."

"Right. We don't who or where it is, but we know what he's aiming for." Abe said while looking around at the sea of passing agents.

"We also can assume that Sanders gave them detailed information about the HQ, now, if you intended to plant a bomb and got top results from the explosion, where would you plant it?" Manning's voice pondered over the communicator.

"The power plant at the third floor. Not only it would increase the bomb's potential, but it will also hit the gas unities stored in there." Running to the first elevator he could find, Abe was sure he would find the werewolf.

He was inside the elevator when a shockwave hit him. "What the hell… Have the agents decided to blow up the whole floor upstairs?"

It took the Director a few minutes to answer his question "No, only a very stupid red demon. Hellboy planted a small bomb in one of the kitchen's industrial ovens, destroying a good part of that area to kill two werewolves that were hunting him!" Manning furious explained.

A few seconds later, Abe heard the older man say "That stupid, stubborn, dimwit… lucky son of a bitch! The red menace gave us just what we might need to win this!" Realizing that Abe was listening to his words and probably getting the happy gratitude in his voice, he cleared his throat and told the amphibious "You tell him I said that Abe and I put and end to your late night's escapades."

It was Abe's time to clear his throat and, cursing himself mentally at his poor skills on infiltration techniques, he promised "I never heard anything, sir"

"Good" The conversation met its end when the elevator opened its doors to reveal the third floor to Abe's eyes.

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**CHAPTER ****26**

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Unlike the other floors, the third floor was a restricted area where only a hand full of agents was allowed. It was a heavily secured place since, not only the power plant could be bombed, which intensity would be increase by the underground gas storage facilities, but because the water supply in there could be easily poisoned, killing the all the agents in the building. So, there was one single elevator leading to the third floor and a dozen of people working in there, mostly to supervise and repair the power plant and the water supply.

The first time Abe visited this place, he was accompanying the Professor and the curiosity about the BPRD's facility got him hooked up: it had been an exhausting visit since the Professor wanted to be sure about the power plant capacity in order to initiate a few experiments on the labs and Abe had been extremely impressed by the third floor's sight. But it wasn't the structure that got his attention, neither the power plant built inside the reservoir wall or the complicated series of storage unities he could see at his right; no, those had nothing to compare with the beautiful lake he could see from the elevator doors.

When the Professor saw him completely in love by the lake's sight, he had explained how the water from the underground springs fed the lake, crossed the hydroelectric water turbines, generating the energy feeding the entire building. Abe never heard a word of what he was saying since his attention was focused at the large quantity of water in front of him, murmuring and calling for him.

When Abe got out of the elevator, he still felt like the water was calling him home, which seemed to soften the dread he had be feeling since he first discovered the werewolf's intent. He didn't need to use his gift to figure that the bomber was aiming for the main generator and, consequently, the methane produced by the reservoir power plant. Those targets were easily accessible from the main generator room

But he was afraid to use his gun inside the powerhouse and risk an unwanted explosion and ended up opting to use the long silver dagger that Hellboy had given him as a Christmas gift long time ago. Dagger at hand, he ventured inside the power plant and tried to determine the werewolf's location with his mind. He felt his enemy excitement at finding the generator as well the undercurrent frustration on not being able to find the locations of the natural gas storage unities. He had to move fast.

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On lab W-05, Dr. Pratt and Isis had been locked themselves working non stop to complete the prototype of the ultrasonic weapon, so far they had just managed to produce an ultrasonic wave powerful enough to incapacitate the werewolves acute hearing system, but they couldn't exactly find a mean to produce and broadcast the sound.

That's what they had to report to when the Director contacted them, looking for good news on the weapon development while the werewolves upstairs – forced to change back to human form thanks to Abe's serum - were being unrelentingly hunted and killed.

It was Manning's extremely concerned about the werewolf at loose on the third floor and possible existing infiltrators among the BPRD's agents, that forced him to look for faster results from lab-05, especially since identify every single human on the BPRD's floors would take too long. Abe had already demonstrated his own difficult in identifying them using his mind abilities and the Director was seeking for a third choice, which means Dr. Pratt's weapon.

When Manning explained the good scientist his problem in a way that had Dr Pratt scared for his own well being, the trembling man offered to transmit the ultrasonic sound through BPRD's building by using the same internal communication system that broadcasted the alarms.

"You can do that?" Manning pressed.

"Yes sir, but the efficacy of the wave will be directly proportional to werewolf's distance of the sound source."

"So what the hell are you waiting for? Broadcast it as loud as it's need it to be, NOW! " That got Pratt moving to his computer to execute the direct order he just had received.

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Abe entered the powerhouse and crossed the internal corridor that would take him to the main generator. In his hunt for the werewolf he felt the presence of other minds – probably BPRD's techniques – the ones responsible to maintain and supervise the engines of the power plant. He felt some of those minds moving to the same point he was heading, diminishing his chances in identify and kill the werewolf. Abe moved faster to the stairs leading to the generator, taking two steps at time and reaching the corridor he was looking for.

The hydraulic turbine and the electric generator were in a room located at the center of dam wall; the two combined formed the power plant generator and reached easily 5 times a regular human height, but only a part of it could be seen at the generator room since the hydraulic turbines with its blades remained submerse in the penstock.

Before opening the door, Abe reconsidered his choice on weapon, the dagger not offering the reassurance he was looking for. 'Besides', he thought it, 'the werewolf won't know that I can't use this gun.' Searching around, he quickly located a fully dressed woman planting the bomb in one of the generator's wall, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders.

"It's too late. The bomb is already planted and the timer set" she told him without turning to face him "You'll do better if you ran away"

Abe heard the smile on her voice "Well, I can always disarm it, as I've done innumerous times before it."

"You could, but you still have to fight me to get in here"

"I could just shoot you in the head, silver bullets are wonderful things don't you think?"

"And risk detonating the bomb or causing an explosion?" She countered smiling "I don't think so…" And with that she turned to face him.

"I only need one shot. But you're dead one way or another; you are pretty expendable, aren't you?" When that hit a nerve, he prodded and twisted his finger at the found wound "What's the matter? Having troubles in being at the hierarchy's end? It must hurt being the one chosen to carry the obviously suicide mission…"

Her face was distorted with anger and Abe could see her changing involuntarily to the wolf's form "I'm young, but don't confuse me with the omegas we brought to feast on your colleagues!" She transformed and quickly ran to attack Abe.

He couldn't fire at her direction at risk of hitting the bomb so he waited until she was closed to sidestep to his right and, pulling the silver dagger from his belt with his left hand, slashed her in the back. She growled in pain and moved to a second round, trying to bite his arm.

This time Abe could fire the gun in his right hand, hitting her over the left frontal leg. The shot slow her down, but it didn't stop her. Abe suddenly saw himself raising his arms to protect his neck, body falling backwards with the force of the impact. She caught his arm and his brain soon registered the pain caused by the bite.

He didn't quite understood why she suddenly left his arm and howled in pain as if deadly hit by an unseen force. After inspecting the part of his right arm where he had been bitten, he rolled to his right putting more space between them and stood up with the dagger at his left hand. Breathing hard, he moved to attack her when Manning reminded him about the bomb.

"What about her?" He asked still recuperating his breath.

"She has been taken care of. MOVE!"

---------------------------------

Manning saw Abe ran to the generator wall in the bomb's direction, crouching over the small black device. "It's a simple device, it won't take long to defuse it" Abe said. "I can see the wire that leads to the primer and the reactor wire… now… where is the one that…"

"Are you quite finished with it, Abe?' Manning asked incensed by Abe's babbling over the bomb.

"…Finally! The wire that feeds the ignition timer, cutting it… Ok! We're good to go." He heard a sigh of relief coming from Manning's communicator.

"Fine! I have other things to deal with. Stay where you are until the guards find you and then help them escort our guest to the closest cell you can find."

Abe relaxed a little, basking at the peaceful moment he was living, only to have his thoughts directed at their new prisoner's unconscious figure.

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**CHAPTER ****27**

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When the sunrise came, its rays never shone in the BPRD's first floor. It was again a chilly winter morning and the survivors of the werewolves' attack had much work to do before finally allow themselves a minute of rest.

Lights had been fixed only a few minutes ago and they were now searching for corpses and at the same time looking for injured ones among the debris. Not only the ceiling had collapsed in some areas, but some walls had been blow up probably by desperate agents' grenades. It was rare, but every now and then they would find a naked corpse – a werewolf corpse – shot at its head and heart, no matter the condition it was found, and compare it to the missing cadets' photos.

That work was gruesome and taxing but the other one – collecting the injured agents – was a lot worse. Anyone injured was submit to a body search in order to establish if he or she had been bitted; anyone bitted was taken to the second floor infirmary ward, where they would receive treatment and stay under observation until further orders.

The active agents could only imagine what would happen once the ones at the second infirmary ward transformed and changed; what Director Manning would do to them when that happened. They felt even worse because, seeing the catastrophic results caused by the attack; they couldn't stop considering that final solution a necessary evil.

"One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one."

"What did you said Blue?" Hellboy asked him, still searching the bodies.

The two friends had been looking for John since the young man had failed to answer his 9omm.. Was hours ago. They still had neither trace nor sign of him. Hellboy refused to admit out loud that his concerns for John were increasing at every single corpse he found, but couldn't seemed to control the numbness that was spreading over his heart and reaching his arms and hands; like his heart beats were irrevocably accelerating towards an inevitable crash.

"Agatha Christie once said that and looking at the destruction, the victims and the price we paid; I believe I agree with her: it doesn't feel like we won at all."

Hellboy offered no comment on the subject, it wasn't needed nor wanted. He just continued his search and he would have keep it for many hours more if Manning's voice hadn't interrupted their quest in such an abrupt and disturbing way "Hellboy, I found John."

'I found John' and nothing else, that simple statement would have drive Hellboy and Abe across the world, but still didn't help to easy their feelings. Tom Manning knew this perfectly well, but he also acknowledged that offering any other piece of information would send the two demons running into a suicide mission and he didn't want that, not before talking to them.

It was one of the rare moments when Manning couldn't allow himself to be baited or angered by Hellboy. He had no other way but to assume the special position that was once filled by the Professor and lately was occupied by John and no one else. He had done it before and he would do it again, but it wasn't natural and he much preferred to fill the local bastard roll.

When the demons arrived at the Watch Tower demanding answers on John status and location, Manning had decided on what and how to do it. The Director was standing with his back to them with his poker face and refused to answer or explain anything until they saw a particular security video. Only then, they would get their answers. Hellboy was reaching his limits fast, concern from John wiping away any shred of control he still had in him. He moved to grab Manning by his clothes when the Director started to displaying the mentioned video at the room's main widescreen.

The quality of the film had been compromised by the lack of light, but the tunnels outside BPRD's front doors could be easily recognized. They saw a brunet agent being carried away by another one; the men crossed the tunnels to the elevator shaft's direction and, after a few seconds, two other agents joined them – a male and a female judging by their shadows.

The elevator doors opened ant they got in. There wasn't much light to identify the agents and Hellboy opened his mouth to ask Manning the reason for that particular show. He was again stopped from asking questions when another video came on – this one filmed from the better illuminated elevator. He saw the agents come in and turn their faces the elevators camera. Hellboy's blood froze the moment he saw John unconscious and being taken from the BPRD's building by the non-identified agents.

The Director waited patiently for the reaction; he appreciated the calm that preceded the storm and wasn't disappointed when it finally presented itself in form of raging fists. Hellboy stopped at the room's center, looking at John's frozen picture.

"What do you plan to do Red?" Blue tried it.

"That is pretty simple Blue. First I'll find out where your enemy is then I'll get at them and killed them as painfully as I can, bring John back here and forgot this day ever existed." And with that he left the Watch Tower.

"Pretty simple indeed, my friend..." Blue considered following him through the BPRD's corridors.

It was a short journey from the Watch Tower to the contention cell where the female werewolf was being kept, but the security check points were innumerous. One could easily conclude that Manning was taking no risks. It was kind hard to determine what those risks were: the female werewolf escape or an agent going lone ranger and decide to kill her. No matter the reason, the prisoner was kept in a highly security cell, that only four people had access to.

With Hellboy dead set in rescue John that was probably the smartest thing to do, because he currently had no limits to hold him down. There where no boundaries, no rules, only the desire of no longer loose someone dear; there was only despair and determination. And this time, this time humanity wasn't hanging on the balance.

But Abe knew perfectly well what price Hellboy would pay if he was left to interrogate the prisoner and he was sure that, neither the Professor, neither John, would ever forgiven him if he allowed Hellboy to cross the thin line that separate them from the things they hunt for living. It took him time, but ultimately he convinced Red to let him go and get the information they need to rescue John. So, when he walked into the cell holding the werewolf, Abe had many interests in mind.

She was strapped in a chair, facing the cell's door and couldn't change to her wolf form thanks to the perpetual dose of the rose serum she was receiving. Abe considered briefly if Manning intended to supply the serum to the bitten agents when she stooped his thoughts.

"You are wasting time" She said to him in the way of greeting.

"You are awake. I didn't expect you to be awake." He offered back.

"I can hear your heart beat accelerating, you know? That means you're lying."

Abe smiled a little before continuing "Your world is fairly simple, isn't it? You hunt, you eat; you get angered, you extract revenge. My heart beats faster, I'm lying. Well, I'm a little more complex than that." He felt a flicker of annoyance coming from her. "But tell me, in your world, what it means when you're left behind by your pack?"

"Again with this? They didn't desert me! They just don't know I'm alive!" She countered as images of her pack and her alpha flashing through her mind; Dominic telling her how important her part on the BPRD's demise was.

"Really? The building didn't blow up; they sure know you had failed. Maybe that's exactly the problem, Dominic know you failed him!"

"How do you know his name?" She looked surprised.

"Let me tell you something, honey, I know that werewolves work in packs and not individually. You've been ostracized." He said smiling and that hurt her more than any physical blow Abe could inflict. Being ostracized meant death to a pack member. Abe felt her despair and went for the kill "Especially now that you revealed his name to me." Abe answered her.

"I did not! I never told you anything" She protested urgently when he turned away as if leaving the cell, desperate about no being able to come back to the pack, even if it meant to not to return to the cathedral and its crypts.

Abe smiled at the female's thoughts "You see, I really don't need you to actually say it out loud for me, all you have to do is think just the way you're doing now. Thank you for your cooperation, dear." He said gently leaving the cell; there was much do to, before telling this information do Red.


	11. Chapter 11

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**CHAPTER ****28**

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When John woke up he had no idea where he was. The last memory he had was from a werewolf looking at him while he was trapped under the ceiling debris. He stood up swaying a little and felt how incredibly sore his body was. Crossing the barely illumined room where he was, he reached a long, dark corridor. He couldn't see five feet in front of him, so he blindly reached out his arms in an attempt to find a door or something of the sort.

It was cold and the clothes he was wearing didn't offer enough protection for the bitter frost in the air. Suddenly, a loud howl echoed trough the corridors and John knew for sure he had to leave as soon as possible. This wasn't BPRD, the werewolves were there and he had no gun. Searching hi won body, he discovered he didn't have his comm either.

He felt something touch his back and whipped around, assuming a defense position and trying to locate whatever had touched him. There was nothing there. He cautiously turned back around but, at that moment, two strong arms wrapped around his torso and trapped his arms against his sides.

Trying to get free, John went for his captor legs. He felt, more then saw, his captor changing, his body getting bigger and stronger, nails scratching his skin. 'Great!' he thought 'I just woke up and my luck made me bump on the dark with a werewolf. That's just great!' John's breathing quickened even more when he felt the stranger nuzzle and smell his neck.

"You always smell so good, John."

"What? Who are you?"

The stranger chuckled from behind, arms trapping John with an unrelenting hold. "I'm hurt, John. Have you forgotten me already?" He said dragging the young man back to the room where he first woke up.

"John was released the minute they crossed the room's entrance. Turning around to face his captor John saw the person responsible for his captivity. "Dominic!"

"Hello John." Dominic offered returning to his human form completely. "We meet again."

John was speechless "How… You…"

Dominic made a gesture asking for time to explain and since John couldn't even began to comprehend what was happening, he granted it. The blond man started to explain "Until some days ago I had no idea that you were a BPRD's agent. When we first met at the park my solely intent was to know you. You looked so enticing watching people playing around the park, holding the cup surrounded by snow. I couldn't resist." He said to John, who felt the honesty in his words. "But then your partner came and killed my mate, MY mate, John. We have been together longer than you've lived."

At those words, John said "If Hellboy hadn't done it, I would be killed. He saved my life!"

"You were hunting Corbin! You did you expect him to do? Allow you to kill him? You hunt us for leaving!" Dominic said furiously.

"No, we don't!" John moved forward to better confront him "We only hunt those who kill humans. Do you deny doing those things after what you had done in the agency?"

"I deny nothing. Your Agency killed Corbin, I destroy them back; your partner took away my mate, I'm taking away his!" Dominic said while walking towards John.

That made John's hairs stand up from his neck. "What are you saying?"

Dominic grabbed John by his hair and brought him closer; burying his face on John's neck despite of the agent's struggle "It is mere justice John. I lost Corbin for you and now you must take his place with me and the pack."

"There is no way I'm letting you do anything with me!" John answered back angered at the teeth racking around his jugular.

Dominic laughed "Who said you got to say a word in this matter, John?" Dominic punched the young man' stomach hard, rendering him unconscious. "Don't worry John. You will have no choice but to comply with my needs." He said carrying gently the unconscious agent back to bed.

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After Abe left to interrogate the prisoner, Hellboy walked aimlessly through BPRD's partially destroyed first floor. He was still unconsciously looking for John when he found the young man's room, undamaged by the invasion. He barely registered his entrance to John's room, his left hand hovering over the door's lock.

He stepped away from John's empty room suddenly afraid that it might turn into a bad omen. Red dwelled on this idea until he remembered what that particular room could offer him: John's sweet yet strong scent. That reminded him that he didn't believe in omens or fate; Hellboy would defy them all if it meant to live alongside the young agent. And to hell with everything else!

He opened the door to find out what a prick for cleanness his lover was. The bed was made, books were on the shelves, clothes neatly folded, papers meticulously ordered. He laughed considering his own headquarters mess and wondered how they were refreshingly different from each other. Walking around the small room, he found John's desk and some personal notes over Churchill's speech. He laughed a little as he remembered John's mindless reciting over the communicators' systems. John probably didn't know what he had done and Hellboy was going to make sure he was the one to tell him bout that, just to witness the infamous blush that was to come when John figure that the entire BPRD had heard him.

Coming to rest on John's small bed, he took the pillow in his hands and burrowed his nose, relaxing at the familiar scent…

Hours later, he woke up later to meet Tom Manning's serious face.

It seemed to the red demon that John's room was devoid of light, the young man's presence was slipping away from the place at an impressive velocity. Silencing over his own suspicions about why Manning was in the room, he stood up to leave the room.

"I'm sending three agents with you, it's all the personnel I can spare for now. They had been debriefed about this missions specifics and the den's location."

That got Hellboy talking. "Humpf… This is the part where I ask you what is that you want."

"The werewolves responsible for this attack must die before they can pass the BPRD's location and building details to anyone. This is supposed to be a secret headquarters after all…"

Hellboy offered no answer, preferring to leave the room and face the music. He had yet to close John's door, when the Director made his move "What if he had been bitted?"

With his back still turned to Manning, Hellboy rubbed his left hand over his face, steeling his patience. "First, we're talking about possibilities here. There is no way you can tell John has been bitten and, even if he has, no way for you to predict that he would turn into something like Sanders. Scratch that, there is no way he would turn into Sanders" He pointed to the other.

"What would you do if that happens?" He insisted.

"Funny… I never took you for a coward, but let's face this for once, shall we? The question isn't what I would do, because I would still love him and ripped the head off from anyone trying to hurt or kill him." The 'including you' didn't had to be mentioned. "The real question is what you are going to do about those agents down stairs, since John is not your fucking business!!"

"Now, who's hiding away from the truth?" Manning said without blinking.

"I'm leaving..." He took a few steps on the corridor when the Director called his name and tossed him a small round device.

"This is the USW – short form to Dr. Pratt's ultrasonic weapon. Once the red button is pushed, it will release one single ultrasonic wave, strong enough to incapacitate any werewolves in a 5 meters perimeter. Any bastard standing farther than that will be only out of balance."

Hellboy looked at the strange device for a few seconds before putting it on his coat and walking away. He found Abe waiting for him at the garbage truck. "Abe…"

"Shut up. It is useless and we both know that I'll go either way. Save your breath and my ears. Besides, you'll need backup Red and John will take it out of my ass if he ever heard that I let you go on your own."

The demon smiled at that comment "For someone so small and fragile, he sure can scared the hell out of people."

Blue snickered "Fragile, my ass".

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John was dreaming. It was a strange dream where he was bound and naked in someone else's bed and yet couldn't feel bothered about it.

A small part of his brain informed him that he not only should feel that way, but he should be doing something to get himself out of that predicament, but he only blinked at the strange images conjured by hi sleepy mind. A hand caressed his head and he leaned into it, happy with the sensations it was causing, the warm it was given. He noticed he wasn't exactly in a bed, but in somebody's lap being gently petted. Closing his eyes, he fell asleep.

Dominic watched amused the reactions of the drugged young man while he caressed him. He had been administered a mild sedative to stop him from running or hurting himself until they returned to their original den. Once there he would have no problems with his soon-to-be mate, the location of the den itself preventing the new werewolves from running way and getting lost.

His hands moved from John's head to his rosy lips and later his nipples, pinching them until they were hard and the young man moaning. Unable to restrain his desires, Dominic brought John to a sitting position on his lap, face turned to him and long legs fallen apart, and started to kiss the bounded man's lips. His sensitive nose found the red demon's scent on the youth's neck and quickly licked it away, covering the area with his own scent and eliciting a pleasured moan.

Dominic hadn't being happy at finding his intended sporting the ownership marks from the red demon, especially when the pack laws prevented him from stealing another's mate, but no rule forbid him from challenging the demon for its mate. It would be Dominic's pleasure to kill him in order to claim John as his mate and the fact that he would be extracting revenge from his last mate's death would be an added bonus.

A satisfied smile came to his face when John – aroused by the attention he was getting – pressed his body against Dominic's, searching for more. John would learn to provide for his alpha necessities first, but for now, Dominic was happy to train him.

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**CHAPTER ****29**

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Abe had decided to enter the den with BPRD's three agents from the tunnels' system, attracting the rest of the pack and clearing the way for Hellboy to rescue John.

They had no idea where the young man was being kept, since his locator had being disabled, but they were sure it was somewhere inside the Cathedral's crypts – after all the werewolves had only one hiding place in the city. And it was a good one too. The crypts spread around the Cathedral's area, forming a complex labyrinth that not only made difficult to people going into the den, but surely will keep John inside it, unable to find his way out.

The plan was simple: Abe would come down to the sewers and walk his way to the crypts, getting the attention from the majority of the werewolves. Once the pack had found him, he and his team would use the USW. They hoped, sincerely hoped, that the weapon would incapacitate the demons, giving the agents time enough to kill them and save the day.

Meanwhile Hellboy would head straight to the Cathedral and, after waiting for Abe's signal, he would enter and rescue John from wherever he was being kept. Until then, the red demon would wait hidden close to the Cathedral.

Now, the thing was that the whole plan was just too simple for Abe's liking, especially given the fact he had no idea how to get the werewolves attention. To be completely honest, he didn't give much thought about anything, his concern for John overriding his rational side and landing him the responsibility of fighting the pack practically alone – because his team was in no condition to fight. At all.

"What a stupid idea." He spoke out loud in the tunnel he was running. He would never do that kind of stupid thing again if he managed survive this time, he promised. "You own me John… Big time! "

But Abe didn't have to worry. The minute there was movement on the werewolves' territory their ears stand up and their noses try to identify the strangers by their smell. It took them a little longer to determine the invaders' intentions as hostile, but the second they did, they were ready and waiting for the alpha's orders.

Looking back to the sleeping form at his side, Dominic concluded that the red demon was coming and a sadistic smile came to his face, showing how pleased he was at the opportunity of settling his business before leave town with his chosen one. With a growl, the alpha sent his pack to kill the intruders.

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There was hardly any light to lead the agents' way through the sewers and hardly any life in there to keep them from feeling nervous about being in there. Not that Abe was complaining about the lack of rats, cockroaches or even mythological sewers alligators, but there was nothing alive in the area and, considering they were hunting the ones that lived in there, well, that didn't sounded good for them.

The agents accompanying him were exhausted from the previous battle and wary of what it was to come because this time they were on the enemy's territory. In their minds, there were fresh memories of the human massacre they did on BPRD's headquarters and all of them had lost a friend or witnessed the attacks at first hand.

They were pissed and afraid and Abe had a headache to prove it. He felt everything around him, not only the agents' feelings but also the ones coming from the three werewolves that were running towards him. There was hate, only hate.

"They are coming" Abe warned them "Please remember to stay together, our only chance of fighting will depend on how well we stick together."

Reacting to his words, the agents formed a tight circle while holding his guns ready to shoot. They remained quiet, listening for any sounds or signs that could tell them the werewolves were coming.

This time the werewolves knew what the agents were capable to do. They were in no rush. This time they could let their nature guide them through the hunt: stalk their prey, circle them as close as possible and then go for the kill. They made no abrupt movements in getting closer to the agents, nor made any sound during an attack. For their preys, death would come silently.

It was unfortunate to them that Abe could feel and understand their way of thinking, so he waste no time in showing his bravado, after all, he had an image to maintain as well. Looking at one particular point in the shadows, he said to what seamed to be the pack's acting leader "There is no point in hiding in the shadows. I know you're here and we have no intention to walk into your trap." He finished with a smile.

The large werewolf left the secondary tunnel he was using to observe their preys and moved slowly towards the group, and sizing their fight capabilities in order to detect and attack the weakest link. He came growling and showing his teeth, waiting for one of the agents move away from the group and give the opportunity he was aiming for.

But none of the agents moved or talked. They seemed to stiff after a few seconds since, unbeknownst to the werewolves, Abe was using his gift to communicate with the agents telepathically. He was ordering them not move, so they could fight the others two werewolves that were circling them from the other surrounding tunnels.

"You have something that belongs to us, we want him back "Abe stalled, he had to wait for the all werewolves to be in the precious five meters perimeter

The werewolf sneered at the ultimatum and stepped closer to them. Behind the agents, the other two werewolves finally made themselves visible from tunnel. They were coming, encouraged by the fear they scented from the agents. Showing huge fangs and deadly claws, they were approaching…

Abe found himself caressing unconsciously the device's red button, almost trigger happy. He couldn't keep his mind connected with the agents and the werewolves at the same time. Even years later, he would never be able to point the exactly when the fight had begin. He could only guess that at some point, one of the agents got particularly scared and left the protection circle, ending their defense line.

Seeing their opportunity arrive, the werewolves sprang into action, using their paws on the ground to rear them up in order to reach their preys' neck. One of them got his target, killing the agent instantaneously. Abe was lucky enough to evade the attack, but could immediately see the werewolf leader touch the ground and spring once more towards him.

Without waiting any longer, he activated the device and the ultrasonic sound wave echoed through the tunnels.

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**CHAPTER ****30**

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Abe hadn't been on the first floor when the ultrasonic sound was released, He was at the power plant fighting the female werewolf. 'In the power plant', they said, 'sound had his force decreased by the hydraulic generator's sounds'. Despite of that, he could honestly said that watch a creature screech and writhe in agony it wasn't a pretty sight; it didn't felt any better, because Abe's skin had tingled with the sensations scorching through female werewolf's body.

The USW affects were completely and devastatingly different and scarier. The sound released through BPRD's corridors was nothing more to a desperate response at a present threat. "This, this is a planned and calculated weapon designed to incapacitate or kill.' Abe thought. And the pain it caused to his victims was something far away from what Abe had been expecting. He briefly considered if it would ever come a day when he and Hellboy would be treated like this.

Turning away from his thoughts and closing his mind link to protecting himself from the pain the werewolves were being inflicted, he sent Hellboy a single radio signal, telling him the way was cleared.

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Hellboy kept himself hidden in the park. His attention focused on the destroyed Cathedral and its surrounding cemetery situated at the city center. BPRD's files over the local told him how the priests had dedicated their lives to God's work whole the while hosting wild parties after dark. The place was rumored to be cursed after God had abandoned it.

There was no one around the area, since a blizzard made its way to the city. He considered himself lucky in having one thing less to worry about it. 'One damn thing among innumerous others', John's welfare being the first one, he reminded himself.

His communicator captured Abe's signal when he was lighting his cigar, so crossed the street separating him from the Cathedral, leaving behind a trail of smoke. He got a little surprised when he heard Manning's voice over his comm, letting him know he had found a couple of heat signals coming from the cathedral. One of them was likely to be John. Hellboy was no great fan technology but he had to love its results, more specifically the BPRD's satellite pictures.

After opening the Cathedral's gates, he contemplated its five-aisled nave and its central vessel. He was looking for one of the side aisles that, in the past, held the crypts entrance. It wasn't hard to find neither the entrance nor the labyrinth the crypts formed.

'Hundreds and hundreds of places to hide…' He considered 'It might take a while to find you John.' But a smug smile appeared on his face as he touched the labyrinth's wall with his right hand. "Well, they always say the only way to find a labyrinth's center is by walking into its corridors using your right hand, so …" And with that he gave himself to the task of punching down the walls in front of him, one at the time at a straight line.

It didn't take long until he reached its center and find Dominic forcing some sort of drink down an unconscious John's throat. The young man was naked and his hands were tied on his back. Hellboy felt his blood boiled into his veins and a loud growl came from his mouth.

"What the hell are you doing with him?" He said while coming towards his lover "JOHN?"

Dominic didn't stop his actions or turn to face the red demon "I don't wish to involve him in our personal business, so this will keep him asleep while we settle our differences."

"Nice way to put the massacre and destruction you caused, pompous ass."

"I simply avenged a crime you committed against me, after all you killed my mate. Werewolves mate for life you know?" He explained petting John's head.

"No one ever tell you that living well is the best revenge?" Hellboy quipped trying to attract Dominic's attention and stop the disturbing scene his was witnessing.

"This small war between us finishes now!" Dominic stated "I'll take him as a compensation for my mate's death; poetic, isn't it? Your mate for mine? I can tell you right now, that he is as sweet in bed as my mate was! He won't remember our first time, but I assure you there will be many more in the future for…" He didn't have the time to finish the sentence because Hellboy got the meaning of his words and, enraged, grabbed his silver dagger and went for the bold man, taking him away from the bed.

Dominic changed to a mid-transformation; muscles, claws and fangs ready and aiming for kill. Those were the only things keeping Hellboy from snapping his neck during the furious attack he had launched. Hellboy was growling; his mind, blank with insanity and fury, could only process that the creature at his hands had hurt his lover and should pay the price of touching what belonged to Hellboy only.

Brown eyes opened to contemplate the savage scene playing in the room, two creatures lusting for revenge and the right to claim a human as its mate. There were no conscious thoughts guiding their actions, except the uncontrolled desire to kill and maim. They kept striking each other's bodies, slashing arms and legs, ripping their flesh, until small drops of blood went flying everywhere.

John watched their macabre dance under drugged eyes. A flicker of awareness coursing through his mind told him that there was something wrong, something he should be stopping urgently. There was a wetness slipping down his face, it was…

They separated from each other, breathing heard at the smell of blood coming from around them. Hellboy felt that his ribs badly bruised and a wide a gash on his right temple prevented him from opening his eyes. His body had sustained innumerous cuts, but he gave as good as he got.

The werewolf standing in front of him didn't look so healthy either. The silver dagger on is left hand was covered in blood, and he readjusted for one more assault when Dominic launched himself against the red demon and held him down to floor, fangs dangerously close to his throat. "He will be mine" the creature hissed to him through bared teeth. It was Myers voice calling for him that forced Hellboy to fight back and release himself from the creature's deadly hold and cut its heart with the dagger.

Dominic's body stiffened over Hellboy and slowly descended towards the floor, blood raining around him and splattering at the red demon's face.

"It's ok, Scout." he said breathless under the corpse. After a few hard breathes he shoved the dead body away from him and moved to a sitting position. It took him a few more minutes to finally be able to stand up and move to release John from his bounds, holding him closer while his left arm covered the agent's body.

"Red…?"

"Shhhh… It's over. You can sleep now…" He offered, glad that he saw no foreign bites at his lover's body.

When Abe finally found them, he was surprised by the chilly expression in the other demon's eyes. He didn't dare to question, not yet.

"Where are the other agents, Abe?"

"They are guarding the other werewolves' corpses, Red. Why John…" His friend was looking at him gravely and he stopped his questions all together. "Has he been bitten?"

"No. Abe, he… That son of a bitch, he…"

Abe felt like he had suffered a physical blow when he realized what Hellboy was trying to confide him. Hellboy couldn't say the words, but Abe could feel his distress and anger, he could see Hellboy's memories of the fight. Abe knew that his friend would never say those words; not to him, not to John - he would never say those words to John.

Looking at each other's eyes they had come to a hard decision. No one would ever know what had happened to John during those hours. Hellboy stood up, carrying John away from the accursed room.

"We're leaving. Tell Manning that we will return when the time is right."

"Red! Wait! Where are you going?"

"To the one place where we'll get the peace and quietness we need without Manning daring to appear uninvited" He said tiredly "Abe… this… this is between us and no one else."

"Don't worry. Red… gave him my best and take care, ok? I'll see you guys when you are ready."

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**CHAPTER ****31**

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Many miles away from Whitehorse city, the Yukon Territory had gifted the human kind with one of the most isolated areas on the planet. Along arctic tundra and after some abandoned relics from the gold rush a century ago, there was a small refugee, reachable only by a remote trail carved in the Rocky Mountains that was used more by animals than by men.

According to local legends, only one person leaved in this particular area. An old witch that refused to abide to humans laws and, for this crime, had been condemned to leave the human civilization. Some used to say that the old gods made the animals kept trespassers away from the area; others told there were demons guarding and punishing her for her sins.

None of this mattered to the red figure facing the weather that morning. His voice was traveling undisturbed across the deserted area while his steps marked the white mantle of snow.

"Poppa used to keep all sort of secrets from me when I was young, y' know? And we always ended up fighting whenever I found out one of them. I remember this one time when I finally learned about the reasons I was brought to the earth… boy, I was so furious." Hellboy didn't mind that John's drugged state kept him from understanding the words he was saying.

The red demon only wanted to ground John to his life while the young man was carried, carefully protected from the Canadian winter. "At the time, I believed he had no right to hide those secrets from me, it was my damn life after all. You know what he told me?" They were crossing the last trees of that particular side of the mountain "He told me he had done it to protect me and that he would do it again if needed. I made a point in telling him that that was bullshit."

He laughed a little and then concluded bitterly "I guess I know better now, huh? I'm sorry Boy Scout, but you'll never know." He could finally see the old hag's cabin.

The old woman was waiting them by the door "Who are you calling old hag, your red monkey?? And clean your damn feet before you enter my house, boy, or I'll clean the mess you make if your ass"

"Ah Beulah… all love and sweetness…"

"Pf… I prepared a hot bath to your lover, boy. After that, you take him to your room! I expect you to collect more wood to feed the fire. I would force you to cook, but that would only punish us instead of you." Beulah issued from the cabin's inside, before enter her guest's room.

She had sensed when Broom's son had arrived at the forest and heard the incessant blabbering of the child while bringing to her house his injured friend. She was tempted to curse him for keeping her awake all the night but she knew that, if Hellboy had deemed himself to come to Yukon, the child had no place to seek refuge. So she would let them be, for now…

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It was mid morning when she reentered the guest room and stopped at Meyer's bedside to offer one cup of tea to an exhausted Hellboy. "So… Are you telling me the reason for this sudden visit of yours? You hate my house, so I know it isn't for the nice view of the mountains."

"This tastes like shit! And you know why I'm here since you can read my mind easily."

"I feel so privileged to access that perverted mind of yours…" Ignoring the compliment to her tea she forced "Come on, boy! You know the rules, you must ask to be granted help" The old hag insisted.

Mumbling under his breath he asked to be accepted in there with John with all respect, gaining a sneered "Right." from his host.

"I want him sleeping" Hellboy said to her, pointing to Myers. "Until his wounds heal. I don't …" She had to rub her wrinkled face hard once Hellboy mind showed it to her exactly what he wanted

"You are an idiot. You can't hide this sort of thing from him, you get that don't you?"

"Stay away from my mind you old bitch!" He said angered.

"YOU came to me knowing what was going to happen, so bare the consequences! I personally think it is the stupidest idea you ever had and you, child, have a long history to compare to it." She felt tired and old and blamed all to Broom, he had no rights in dying before her. "But I'll do it; I'll keep him unconscious and healthy until all the physical evidences of his rape disappear."

"Manning…"

"Yeah, he knows better than appearing at my house uninvited." She sighed "Tom Manning doesn't show it but he cares for you both, which is why I granted him my permission to come visit you in three days."

At Hellboy's attempt to disprove that statement, she ordered him "Shut up! I'm in no mood to argue." She moved to examine the unconscious man at her bed, searching for his memories. There was nothing in there, not a single memory of the time he was rapped. Opening his eyes, she noticed the dilated pupils. 'The wonder of drugs' she thought to herself. "You are sure this is what you want?"

"I can't watch him suffer over this, I can't tell him I came too late and…" He took a deep breath and continued "I don't want him dealing with this." Hellboy repeated. He was sure, damn sure about it, and he would take great pains to stopping the truth from revealing itself.

"Fine! Then you have a few days to stop acting like you were the one who did this to the boy. Unless you don't want this whole thing to work."

Hellboy breathed in relief. Myers would sleep until his wounds had healed properly. He wouldn't know what had happened to him as he was at the werewolves' hands. He would wake up and they would spend sometime in here in peace and, only after some much needed healing time, they would return together to BPRD and face the mess that was left behind.


End file.
